Legacy
by Aubrey Simone
Summary: Things aren't always as they seem, but when Kagome's life is turned completely upside down, will her destiny prove to be too much for her to handle? **ON HIATUS**
1. Chapter 1

**Note**: This is a plot bunny that I adopted from Sugar0o—her original idea is here: /fanfiction/story/2733/11 –and if I can do this even an iota of justice I'll die a happy girl! Please let me know what you think, and enjoy! Oh and I'll only do this once, so here goes…

_Disclaimer: The anime/manga InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and I make no money from the writing of this fic. The Lord of the Southern Star is property of Sugar0o, and is being used with her permission. Any other original characters are property of the author, Aubrey Simone, and any resemblances to real people are purely coincidental._

Prologue: The Fall of the Southern Star

There were few things that Yoshiro considered punishable by death, and the Inu no Taisho knew without a doubt that the human before him was deserving of the fate about to befall him. With nothing more than a slight growl building in his throat, the large silver inu nodded to his executioner, averting his gaze as the human's head was sliced from his shoulders.

A light sigh left his lips, and he stepped carefully around the body, glancing at the Southern Lord from the corner of his eye as he joined him. "It was necessary, Yoshiro," the black inu murmured, giving condolences that only he knew Yoshiro required.

"Even so," the silver male responded.

They walked in silence for a moment, the sounds of the summer afternoon easily reaching their ears. "Is there news of the lady, Shinosamu?"

His friend made a noise in the back of his throat. "She is close, very close." Vibrant blue eyes darted up to Yoshiro's face, and he chuckled. "Were you this nervous with your firstborn?"

A clawed hand fell onto his shoulder, and the loud, booming laugh that left his friend's chest echoed through the halls. "Of course, my friend! Sesshomaru was an easy birth, and I have a feeling that your little one will be the same."

A wry smile twisted Shinosamu's lips. "You must have heard tales of a different pup, Yoshiro, because we cannot be speaking of the same feisty thing that resides in my mate's belly."

Another booming laugh shook the walls, and the silver youkai shook his head, choosing not to respond as they rounded the corner. Yoshiro watched the fondness spark in his friend's eyes as he beheld his very pregnant mate, and he smiled at his own demoness, though he knew for a fact that the same fondness did not light his own gaze.

Matsu, though a suitable demoness, was not his mate and would never fulfill the role; Yoshiro knew that he would never be happy with a demoness—and Shinosamu teased him constantly for his fondness for a human hime that resided on his lands.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he escorted Matsu to the dining hall, where his firstborn was already seated. The young inu, who bore the markings of an heir, stood and bowed to the entering elders before seating himself once more, eyes wandering curiously to the bulging belly of the Lady Atsuki.

"Would you like to greet her, Sesshomaru-san?"

It came as no surprise to Yoshiro that his inquisitive son instantly nodded, standing and rounding the low table to kneel before Atsuki's belly. Slowly, he reached out to lay a clawed hand against the silk of the lady's kimono, snatching his hand back as the pup responded to the touch. Atsuki chuckled lightly, and, as was her nature, she gently guided the hand back and held it.

"She will be your mate one day, Sesshomaru-san," the demoness murmured, nodding to the questioning eyes that met her own.

"This Sesshomaru shall take good care of her, if that is the case," the pup said.

Yoshiro nodded approvingly in Shinosamu's direction.

For some time afterward, they talked and laughed as old friends often did, and it was late before Shinosamu and his lady returned to the south, leaving Yoshiro to make the decision that would seal his fate

He brought his hime home the next day, and it was then that Sesshomaru began to change.

**

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_One Month Later_

A warm summer breeze blew through a peaceful clearing, stirring the silky, ebony strands of a tall figure that stood silently before a small white slab embedded into the lush grass. Vibrant blue eyes meandered along the lettering and clawed fingers twitched before the figure stooped, laying those same fingers against the warm stone.

"There have been many things that I have been ashamed of, old friend," the youkai murmured, baritone voice floating easily through the air. Another breeze whistled in his pointed ears, and he sighed lightly before brushing a few blades of grass off of the slab. "But your death is the only one that will weigh heavily on my mind for the rest of my days."

The hand withdrew after a few moments and the fingers curled inward until a large fist was formed. "I could have _saved _you, Yoshiro." The words were spoken through clenched teeth, and the ebony head shook sharply from side to side, as though the youkai wished to clear his thoughts. Momentarily, there was silence. "But you were always a stubborn old dog, weren't you?"

Another sigh left the youkai's lips, and he rose to his full height, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his deep red haori. Black hakama rustled as he took one step backward and a gentle smile quirked the corners of his mouth.

"We will see each other again, old friend." He turned and began to walk away, only to hesitate at the edge of the clearing. His smile faded, and a sort of uncertainty passed through his bright blue eyes. It was gone in a flash, but the thought that had halted his footsteps lingered in his mind.

_ Aye, we will see each other soon…Much sooner than you think._

**

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**

The cooing, giggling noises of a newborn filtered through rice paper walls, summer air heating the rooms of a magnificent shiro to a comfortable temperature. Servants, youkai and human alike, smiled as their lord indulged in his greatest pride.

Staring down into the sapphire eyes of his only daughter and unaware of the reactions that his behavior was inducing in his staff, Shinosamu couldn't help but feel as though she were the brightest, most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was naught but a few weeks old, a tiny thing, and the markings of her heritage were slowly fading in as her youki developed.

His little jewel was currently looking up at him with a childlike love in her big eyes, one clawed hand catching a lock of his hair before shoving it into her small mouth. He laughed, gently extracting the long ebony strands. Ignoring the saliva slicking them, he flicked them over his shoulder and allowed her to grasp at his finger, her lips closing over his knuckle as he chuckled at her antics.

Turning to his beautiful mate, he nodded and passed the pup to her for feeding, placing a kiss against her tiny forehead before leaving the room. For a moment, he stood outside of the screen, waiting as the pup calmed. When her slight youki was lucid, he sighed lightly to himself, vibrant blue eyes finding and locking onto the smaller, younger form of his kitsune advisor.

"My lord, there is a messenger seeking audience," the male murmured quietly, three tails swishing behind him.

"Very well. I will receive them in the sitting room." The kitsune bowed, moved as though he were going to take a step, and then disappeared in a shimmering haze of fox magic.

Shinosamu took his time going to the sitting room, noting when he arrived that the messenger was already kneeling on the tatami. The small demoness bowed as he entered, touching her forehead to her hands and remaining that way until he indicated that she could rise. Her vibrant green eyes were familiar, and he recognized her as the messenger that his younger brother was fond of. A sick sense of foreboding settled into his stomach.

"Keiko, what news is there?"

The inu demoness was silent for a moment. "My lord Takuma-sama has once more asked for a truce."

Shinosamu resisted the urge to huff in irritation, clenching his jaw as his mind zoned in on the hidden meaning of his younger brother's message

Takuma had slowly been drifting further and further away from the honor their late father had imparted on them as pups—after forming an alliance with a mixing of rogue youkai that roamed the Southern Lands, he had become increasingly adamant about getting Shinosamu to form a truce in order to stall the hostilities that had been forming between them. Needless to say, Shinosamu was no longer willing to fix things with his younger sibling; after years of dissent, there was nothing that could repair their bond.

"You may tell him that his offer is refused. I feel no need to dally with traitors."

The inu seemed to stiffen at his rebuttal, but pursed her lips and nodded sharply. "As you wish. The message shall be relayed." Shinosamu nodded, lifting a hand and gently dismissing the demoness. She stood, and turned, pausing at the door. "My lord, how is the pup?"

Shinosamu looked at her. There was a glaze in her eyes, a hard glint that he recognized immediately. "She is fine."

The messenger nodded. "Be well, my lord."

And then she was gone.

"Be well," he murmured, his voice echoing in the empty room. He blinked slowly, and then turned, finding his advisor to be at his side before he called for him. "Daisuke, inform Lady Atsuki that we will be leaving the shiro at nightfall." Daisuke's bright violet eyes lit in immediate understanding, and then he was gone.

Shinosamu brooded.

**

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**

The Southern Star tribe prided itself in strength and intelligence, and could only be matched in stature to the Western Moon tribe. Shinosamu, being the eldest son of his father, had been raised as heir, and had ruled honorably for the past fifteen-hundred years of his life.

He was an old dog, much like his Western ally, and while his late friend was strict and calculating, he was lenient and warm. They were complete opposites, night and day, and yet they formed a friendship that went much deeper than most. They had formed a blood pact, and Shinosamu, once he was informed that his lady was going to have a daughter, had promised her to Yoshiro's firstborn, Sesshomaru. Shinosamu was honor bound to uphold that pact, and no matter what happened to him tonight, he would be sure that his daughter made it out alive.

Tucking his sword into his obi, he swept from his room and strode through the halls, feeling the youki of his lady and pup as they exited the nursery. Motioning for the demoness to be silent, he led them through the gardens and out through the back gate of the shiro, meeting Daisuke and a few other kitsune guards.

Nodding to them, he pulled Atsuki and his pup close to him, gathering his youki at his feet and taking to the air. The kitsune followed, clutching at the ebony mokomoko that flowed over his shoulder. They were light, buoyed by fox magic and his immensely supporting youki, and they flew quickly, their presences masked.

"My lord, the Seers have been notified of our arrival," Daisuke murmured in his ear. Shinosamu nodded sharply, picking up speed as he eagerly headed toward the two women who may be able to guide him in the right direction.

It was a mere half hour later when they touched down in the Nusaki Mountain Range, and Shinosamu kept Atsuki close to him as Daisuke and the rest of the kitsune inspected the area. He only moved toward the small cave in the face of the nearest peak after they assured him that it was safe and free of any threat.

There was a flare of powerful youki and an answering flare of equally powerful reiki as they neared the cave entrance, and Shinosamu halted a good ten feet away from the entrance, noting that his lady had stiffened beside him, their pup hugged protectively to her chest. Shifting until he stood in front of her, Shinosamu stared into the dark of the cave until two figures emerged from the darkness; like yin and yang, they stood side by side, one demon and one human, youkai and miko.

"Ah, my lord Shinosamu-sama. To what do we owe the pleasure?" They spoke as one, their voices very different but blending perfectly.

The ebony inu didn't bother beating around the bush. "You know the plight of these lands just as well as I do," he murmured, staring unrelentingly at them as they swayed from side to side, faces falling in and out of shadow.

"That we do," they responded, sultry voices sliding along his ears in tendrils of barely veiled power. "What is it that you require of us, my lord?"

For a moment, the black inu was silent. "There are many reasons why I come to you this night. The first, and the most important, regards my daughter and my mate." The fair haired youkai inclined her head and spoke alone, her tone laced with what could have been amusement of not for the sliver of knowing timbre.

"You wish for a reading then?"

"Yes."

The demoness stood silently, blue eyes carefully regarding Shinosamu and the rest of his group. Slowly, she nodded, pupils expanding until her eyes were completely black. She took a deep, ragged breath, and then came forward swiftly, halting abruptly and lifting a clawed hand to Shinosamu's face. Her fingers didn't touch him, but the chill of her skin wafted freely to his cheek.

"A decision awaits you, my lord, which will change the pup's destiny for the rest of her life." Her voice was soft, filled with the raspy tone of a Seer falling into the depths of her magic. "She will be saved, tormented, taunted, threatened, but never broken. She will be yelled at, scolded, talked down to, but never despondent. She will be strong and when the time is right, she will take up her birthright and her place as Lady of the Southern Lands."

Another deep breath shook the air, this time passing through the lips of the miko. Shinosamu had been to them enough to know that the miko's brown eyes had disappeared to leave behind a pure white color that signified her fall into the power of the kami. "But first, she must be abandoned to time. She must live five hundred years from now, never to return until she is ready to grow and face her fears."

Shinosamu remained silent and endured the uncomfortable, burning sensation of reiki and youki washing over him. There was an instinctual urge to protect his mate and pup from the feeling, but even as his lady's breath became shallow and short with pain, he knew not to move.

A third breath rattled the air, and the Seers spoke together. "There is a miko called Sayuri, but she is unreachable except by way of travel—the pup must be tossed to the bottom of the Bone Eater's Well."

"No!"

Atsuki's outburst rewarded her with comforting words from Daisuke, and Shinosamu swallowed thickly, his stomach churning.

"You will pay a price, my lord, there is no doubt of that. But the pup has been touched by the kami, and she must fulfill her destiny The miko Sayuri is one of great power—only she is able to conceal the pup as needed, though it will be at the price of her own life if the pup decides not to return and claim her birthright." For a moment, there was a tense silence, and then the Seers looked to the sky. "And so it shall be!"

And then they were gone.

Shinosamu felt his mate close a frantic hand in his haori, and just as quickly as he realized what was happening, he turned, sword leaving its sheath in a blur of silver light, deflecting the arrow that had been aimed at his pup. Atsuki snarled, her youki rising as she instinctively began to shield the pup from detection.

"My lady, come."

Together, they took to the skies, kitsune guard following after disposing of the rogue panthers that had decided to attack.

Shinosamu had known that things would be changing drastically, but he had not anticipated something as dire as losing his pup to the ravages of time. He was no fool, and knew of the magical properties of the Bone Eater's Well—if he were to drop the light of his life into the well, she would be safe from his brother and safe from the fate that awaited her.

"My lord, I cannot part with her. Please, there must be another way." Hugging his small demoness to his chest, he shook his head, his heart clenching at the anguish in her voice. Her clawed fist came down hard against his shoulder, his armor taking the brunt of her blow. "I will _not_ part with her!"

Shinosamu snarled at her, forgoing all sense of decency as he landed in the clearing that held the Bone Eater's Well, pushing her away from his person with a snarl. His mate glared at him, dark eyes flashing with defiance as she clutched the squirming pup to her chest. He snarled.

"Think you that _I_ wish this for her? There is _nothing_ I can do except send her to this Sayuri!"

"And what of _me_, my lord? Your brother will kill you, and I will be left here, alone and hurting!" The fight suddenly left her, and she slumped, falling to her knees in the moonlit grass. A sob shook her shoulders, and she hunched over the now whimpering pup, her tears stinging his nose.

He stood and watched her, heart breaking into a million tiny pieces. He had no choice, and yet he wished there was some other way. His brother was a cruel, heatless bastard, and after throwing away the life their father had made for them, he had become increasingly hostile; Shinosamu had known that it would come down to this, and he looked up to the sky, unable to hold back his smirk at the irony.

His old friend, the Inu no Taisho, had taken a human mate, and had lost his court and his pup all in the space of a few weeks, and because Shinosamu held the same fondness and had defended humanity on countless occasions, his brother had turned against him. And now? Now he was about to meet the same fate as his lifelong friend.

Oh how the fates must have laughed.

"My lord, the panthers approach."

The call came from deep within the forest, and Shinosamu growled. His lady looked up at him, tears streaking her beautiful face. He couldn't resist, and went to kneel before her, wrapping his arms around her. She trembled in his hold.

"My lady, there is no choice. We must."

"I know," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. She swallowed, and they stood together, sharing a deep, desperate kiss.

Under the watchful light of the full moon, Shinosamu ordered Daisuke to fetch him a scroll and quill, and moments later, he was writing a quick, anxious note to the woman who would forever take care of his pup.

Daisuke was growling and pacing, his calm façade slowly being shattered in the face of the danger that he knew was coming. Shinosamu was grateful for the kitsune's loyalty and grit, and he held his pup once more, looking down into her large blue eyes, so much like his own.

Atsuki took a deep breath, and together, they lowered their pup as far as they could, loathe to drop her into the bottom of the dry well. The pup cooed, squirming and rustling the parchment that had been tucked into her blankets. Shinosamu knew that she would cry, and that she would be found by the miko she was being sent to, but the knowledge did nothing to ease his anxiety. He swallowed his fears.

"Goodbye, Kagome."

They let her go. The magic of the well reacted instantly, and by the time the light faded, Takuma and his rogue youkai party were upon them.

The Lord and Lady of the South fought valiantly that night, eager to protect the well that would bring their daughter back to her proper time. In the end, the well was sealed, and only one was left standing. As he glared down at the body of his dead elder brother, a wicked gleam entered his eye.

He could bide his time, and he knew that he would one day see his precious little niece again.

**

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**

**Author's Note: **And that's that! This borrowed plunnie is also on Dokuga, but tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One – Heir

The peaceful atmosphere that surrounded Sesshomaru was always something that he welcomed, but his traitorous mind seemed adamant about ruining his contentment.

Unbidden, amber eyes turned in the direction of the old wooden well, and the daiyoukai suppressed the urge to destroy the wretched structure, his fingers twitching with restraint. Oh how he would have enjoyed the feeling of wood splintering underneath his claws. The scent of his acid eating away at the feeble boards would bring some measure of comfort to his growing rage, and yet he could do nothing.

Disgusting.

That's what this was—completely and utterly disgusting. How could he desire to rid the world of something so badly and be unable to do so? Why, in all his long life, did he hesitate to eliminate the thing that caused him such unequalled levels of complete rage? His rebellious mind easily supplied the answer; because _she_ wouldn't be able to come back if he terminated her only way of travel.

His claws dug into the earth beneath him.

_Kagome_ was her name, and _she_ was the one causing such riotous thoughts, disrupting his calm and shattering his picture of perfect peace.

She pranced around in his head, laughing and giggling as she often did in person. That completely inappropriate scrap of green cloth flapped and fluttered in the wind, offering him enticing glimpses of round, creamy buttock and long, slender thighs. His inner beast found no problem with her attire, but he couldn't bear to look at her without wanting to lift a lip in disgust. Of course, her manner of dress was nothing compared to her disrespectful attitude.

She was loud and crass, though not nearly as horrific as his younger brother. She never treated him with the respect that his station called for, nor did she seem to possess a graceful bone in her body—clumsy and uncoordinated, she was almost comical in her repeated attempts to do things as simple as walking or running. She'd stood up to him, refused to die by his hand on more than one occasion, and had even had the audacity to assault his person.

And yet, he was—grudgingly—_attracted_ to her. There was no other word that could describe the feelings he had developed for the feisty little miko. He loathed admitting such a thing, but it was the truth and one such as himself did not lie.

He sighed.

The vibrant blue of her large eyes danced before his mind's eye, and he bypassed his revulsion to inspect her more thoroughly—there were other things about her that called to his inner beast, and it was these things he could safely think of without the physical need to be sick.

She was fiercely protective, and extremely dangerous when threatened. Her sense of honor, unlike her sense of respect, was strong, and he knew that her loyalty was a thing to be in possession of. Even after his hanyou sibling had openly betrayed her time and time again, she remained at his side, determined to right the wrong she'd committed and rid the world of Naraku.

_Her task is complete_, he mused.

Though Naraku was dead, killed by her own hand almost a year previous, the hanyou had managed to shatter the Jewel yet again, leaving the rag-tag group to once more begin the search for the shards. The onna could have easily gone back to her time and remained there, but yet she still came, the same determination spurring her to complete the bauble a second time.

_She is honorable, courageous, and defiant enough to entertain this Sesshomaru for as long as she lives._

His anger left him, and he took a deep, quiet breath, a scent wafting to his nose and leaving him slightly resigned. _Her _scent, the scent of orange blossoms and moonflowers, came from the well and caused him to recall the soft shape of her lips, the even whiteness of her teeth, and the shining length of her fragrant hair.

The smell of her had always taunted him, even after he'd left her presence and had been away for an immeasurable amount of time. When he was away from her, he could smell her, could hear her laughter and see her pink lips pouting in anger. She was a constant reminder to the fact that he had no mate, no heir, and no legacy except for what was left from his father's time.

Once again thoroughly irritated, the daiyoukai forced his mind away from thoughts of the miko, settling against the tree and basking in the summer warmth.

**

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**

Sayuri Higurashi fingered the blanket over her legs, feeling the smooth threads slide underneath her fingertips. She was trying not to show the pain she felt, but she could tell that she wasn't doing a very good job—Kagome was watching her worriedly even as she helped her to sit up.

"Here, Mama, drink this."

Gratefully accepting the warm cup of tea offered to her, Sayuri smiled. "Thank you, dear."

The tiny girl, almost a woman now, waved off her gratitude with a delicate hand. "Is there anything else you need, Mama?"

For a moment, Sayuri felt like refusing to do what the kami had demanded in her dream, but the pain intensified, and she took a deep breath, reaching out to the child she'd raised with a shaking hand. "Kagome, dear, I—I have something to tell you."

A frown marred the pretty face, and Kagome nodded, seating herself on the edge of the bed. Sayuri set her cup on the bedside table, reaching up to brush Kagome's bangs out of her eyes. The girl smiled nervously, and Sayuri licked her lips.

"I've watched you grow up into a beautiful young woman, Kagome," she began, smiling at the blush that burst across her daughter's cheeks. "I know that you have so many things that you must do, and I'm so proud of you for what you've already done."

Kagome took the hand that was lying against her cheek, holding it tenderly between her own. "Thank you, Mama."

Sayuri nodded, and then prayed for the strength she needed to make her next statement. "I will always love you, Kagome, you have to remember that, but I—" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Kagome, I'm—I'm not your mother." Before the shocked girl could respond, Sayuri pushed on, the words coming easily now that the dam had been broken.

"When Ken and I were young, we found out that I was unable to bear children on my own. For a long time, we mourned, but as I was walking through the shrine one night, unable to sleep, a noise in the well house drew my attention. I knew that there shouldn't have been anyone or anything in the building, but I went in anyway, and that's when I realized that the noise was the sound of a crying baby. I found _you_ that night, Kagome, at the bottom of the Bone Eater's Well."

A strangled noise left Kagome's throat. "B—but, Mama, that can't be right," the girl stammered, the color draining from her face.

It pained Sayuri to see the child so distressed, but it was a necessary evil, and Sayuri continued quietly. "I know that it's a lot to take in, dear, but I wouldn't lie to you, not about something so important." She paused, and then licked her lips. "I'm a miko, Kagome, just like my father, and that night, I knew without a doubt that you were a youkai. If the markings on your face and the pressure of your youki weren't enough to convince me of that, then the letter that was with you was all the evidence I needed."

Kagome's face was as white as the sheet Sayuri rested upon, and she swallowed the urge to take back everything she'd said, pushing onward despite the pain in her heart. "I didn't know where you'd come from or how you got into the well house, but I brought you inside, and Ken and I read the letter together. From that moment on, you became our daughter."

A tear slid down Kagome's cheek, and she sniffled, reaching up to wipe it away. Sayuri watched as the courage Kagome was known for seeped into her posture, and the small young woman took a deep breath.

"So, if you and P—Ken aren't my parents, then who are they?" Her voice only wavered a little, but Sayuri knew her well enough to know that she didn't know what to think.

"There is an old, leather-bound book in the top drawer of the dresser. Will you bring it to me, please?" Kagome nodded, retrieving the book and handing it to her. Carefully, Sayuri flipped through the well-used pages, extracting a yellowing sheet of parchment paper. Traces of youki kept the fragile material from tearing or aging too quickly, and Sayuri handed Kagome the sheet, nodding encouragingly at the curious glance. "Read it aloud, dear."

Kagome nodded, and her voice was gentle.

"'_To the Miko Sayuri,_

_I regret this decision with every fiber of my being, but there is no other way—the Seers have deemed it so._

_I am sending you my daughter Kagome, heir to the Southern Lands. She is precious to me, but she cannot remain here with me, and so I have decided to send her to you. I know that she will be cared for, loved, and protected from all that may harm her._

_I ask that you hide her markings, her youki, with your own reiki. She must live as a human, undetected by all._

_When it is time, and when she is ready, she must be sent back to this time to claim her birthright. It will be hard for you, as it is for me, to let her go, but the decision is hers to make, and hers alone. Be aware that if she decides to remain a human and disown her title, the strength it takes for you to permanently purify her youki will kill you._

_However, I ask that you allow her to make the choice—I will not have my daughter forced into a fate she does not want._

_I must go. Please, take care of my only pup. Convey to her all the love I will no longer be able to give her, and keep her safe. _

_—Lord Shinosamu of the Radiant Southern Star Tribe_'"

Kagome's voice trailed off, and Sayuri waited.

**

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**

This _couldn't_ be right.

Kagome's thoughts whirled through her head at breakneck speeds, whizzing by too quickly for her to process them. She felt almost lightheaded, her stomach churned, and the parchment shook in her hands, the lines blurring.

She didn't realize that she was crying until a tear landed on the paper, sparking a response from the lingering feel of the youki that fizzled against the page. The reaction startled her out of her jumbled thoughts, and she zoned in on the familiar feel of the youki.

It was like a long lost dream, a recalling of something that had been elusive for as long as she could remember. It caressed her fingertips almost lovingly, and she bit back a sob—Sayuri was telling her the truth, and she knew it.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "I—I don't know what to say."

Sayuri shook her head in understanding. "You don't have to say anything, dear. I know that this is a shock for you."

Kagome swallowed. "My father is the Lord of the South in Feudal Japan?"

Sayuri shook her head, but opened the book in her lap and ran her finger down a page until she found what she was looking for. "We found this book shortly after you were sent to us, and the story about the myth of the Southern Star tribe seemed to fit with what your father wrote…He passed away protecting you that night."

Kagome took the book, scanning quickly over the story before looking back up. "And my mother?"

"There is nothing there about her, and we couldn't find any other information." Kagome looked back down.

The words of her father's legend blurred together, and she stopped trying to find any hints of her mother. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and Kagome swallowed in an attempt to dismiss the butterflies in her stomach. Her father had died protecting her, had sent her to an unknown time in order to save her from an untimely death.

"So I'm a youkai, an inu youkai."

It was a statement, not a question, but Sayuri nodded anyway, and Kagome was suddenly overwhelmed with love for the woman who'd raised her. Throwing herself across the small amount of space between them, Kagome wrapped her arms around the frail woman's neck, breathing in the scent of her favorite perfume.

"Thank you for everything. You didn't have to take me in, didn't have to hide me from the world, but you did, and for that you'll always be my Mama."

Her mind was still reeling, but Kagome knew that she would have all the time in the world to think about what her life was supposed to be like—right now, she needed to focus on what was important.

A small, stifled sob stirred the hair on top of her head, and she pulled away, smiling into the tear filled eyes of her mother. "Is the seal the thing that's been keeping you sick?"

Sayuri nodded. "Your youki has begun to put a strain on the reiki that I've fed into you, fighting against it. You'll be coming of age the day after tomorrow, and I'll be unable to hold the spell for much longer."

Kagome felt the corners of her mouth turn down. She couldn't let her mother keep this up—over the past year, she had been getting sicklier and was now confined to her bed from weakness and an increased propensity for fainting spells. Now, of course, Kagome understood the reasons for it, and she wasn't going to let her mother die because of her.

_So you'll throw away everything you've ever known for a woman who lied to you for the first seventeen years of your life?_

The whisper came viciously, unbidden and mean. Kagome immediately dismissed it, unable to hold onto it any longer than she already had—Sayuri had lied to her, yes, but it had all been for a good reason.

Kagome took a deep breath.

"I want you to release the seal at midnight tomorrow."

"Kagome, you don't have to—"

"But I do, Mama. I can't let you do this anymore, and I'm not going to give up my birthright." She momentarily nibbled her bottom lip. "I've always felt at home in the Feudal Era, and now I know why."

"Dear, you don't have to make this decision right now," Sayuri murmured carefully, hand grasping at hers. Kagome shook her head.

"I can't let my fears get in the way. After all, how hard can it be to be youkai?"

They shared a laugh, and Kagome leaned forward, resting her head underneath her mother's chin. A frail hand lay on her shoulder, fiddling with strands of her hair just as they did when she was young and sick.

Memories flooded her mind, and Kagome sighed. "I'll miss you, Mama," she whispered, trying with all her might not to cry.

"I'll miss you too, dear. I'll miss you too."

**

* * *

**

"You've been makin' Mama sick."

Jumping slightly, Kagome looked up to see Souta standing a few feet away, his hands fisted at his sides and his chin touching his chest. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

"Yeah," she whispered, shivering despite the warm breeze that blew through the courtyard. Souta was silent, but Kagome could see the anger that stiffened his shoulders. She cleared her throat. "But I didn't know about it, Souta."

Her brother shook his head, and Kagome took a step forward, only to stop when he took an equal step backward. Frowning, she stepped toward him again, and his head shot up, brown eyes narrowed angrily.

"It doesn't matter that you didn't know! _You_ made her sick!"

His voice was filled with anger and hurt, and Kagome didn't bother trying to fight back the tears that sprung to her eyes. "Souta, I—"

"How could you! You're supposed to take care of her!"

Kagome opened her mouth, but Souta's tears stopped the words in her throat. He was angry, hurt, and probably confused. Her heart ached for him, and before he could turn and run away, she went forward and grabbed him, holding him to her chest even as he struggled against her.

"Let me go! You stupid traitor! You don't deserve to be called my sister!"

"Souta, stop!" Surprisingly, his struggles ceased, and Kagome tightened her grip on his shaking shoulders, sniffling. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know about any of it, and I'm going to fix it, okay? I'm going to go back to my real home, and Mama will get better."

Souta's hands clenched at the fabric of her shirt, and he let her hold him for just a few moments before pushing away, fists wiping the tears out of his eyes. She smiled sadly at him, noting that he was still very upset with her.

"You don't have to forgive me right now, Souta, but I hope you do one day." The boy remained silent, and Kagome twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. "I'll always be your sister, Souta."

He didn't respond. Kagome turned and walked back inside.

The sun was setting by the time Kagome finally gathered the courage to go back through the well for the last time. She stared around her room, remembering all the things that had happened in the space—slumber parties with friends, staring in the mirror before the junior dance, talking to Inuyasha while he sat in her windowsill. There were so many things that she would be leaving behind, she knew, but she wasn't going to let her sorrow override her willingness to do what was right. After all, her real father had died so that she could live and eventually go back to claim her rightful place as Lady of the Southern Lands. She couldn't let him down, not now.

_Everything is going to work out fine,_ she thought, trying her best to push away the melancholy emotions that threatened to take over. As she left her room, she took one last lingering look at the place she'd spent most of her time. A final deep breath was all she needed to step away from the door, and she wandered slowly down the hall, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

Her mother, grandfather, and little brother were waiting on the front porch, and they began to walk silently to the well house. Kagome felt tears sting at her eyes.

"You've grown into a strong young woman, child," her grandfather said as they stopped outside the building. Kagome bent and pulled the old man into a tight embrace, not minding—for once—the strong scent of mothballs and Ben-Gay. A gnarled hand patted her back, and she sniffled before straightening. "You'll do fine, Kagome, just fine. You weren't born for just any old reason, you know."

She smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa."

Her mother was next, and Kagome was careful to purposefully transfer some of the reiki she possessed back into the frail woman's failing body. Sayuri seemed grateful, and she pulled a necklace out of her pocket, pressing it into Kagome's hands. "This was around your neck when we found you—I think it may have been your mother's."

Momentarily, Kagome inspected the delicate silver star and vibrant sapphire centerpiece, and then carefully tucked it into the front pocket of her backpack, which was stuffed to the brim with undergarments and other necessities.

"Thank you, Mama."

A final hug was bestowed on everyone, including Souta, and Kagome gave them one final look before swinging her legs over the lip of the old well. She glanced over her shoulder. "I'll see all of you again, I promise."

And then she slipped over the edge and away from her old life.

**

* * *

Author's Note: **I'm not exactly pleased with this chapter...But let me know what you all think! Thanks for reading!

**p.s.** - At the risk of _not_ getting what I want, I'll just go ahead and say this...Alerts are wonderful, guys, but reviews are better! Nothing spurs an author like words of encouragement...We're very tentative individuals, writers, and knowing that we've pleased our readers is something that ignites a fire of inspiration under our otherwise lazy rear ends...Don't worry-I'm not going to hold updates hostage or anything. I just thought I'd go ahead and get that out of my system.  
Anywho, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two – Truth

Kagome sat. Alone, at the bottom of the well, she allowed her heart free reign, giving herself permission to scream. And scream she did.

When her throat was raw and she ran out of breath, she slumped back against the wall, tilting her head back to look up at the circle of night sky. The stars were beautiful in this era, the skies free of the pollution and smog that she was used to. The air was clean, the views breathtaking. She had always wondered when she would make up her mind to stay in one era or the other, but she had never imagined that she would make her decision based on the fact that her home was in the Sengoku Jidai.

A wave of familiar youki washed over her, and she sighed. "I'm fine, Sesshomaru." She doubted he cared.

"Then why do you remain in the bottom of the well?"

"Where's Inuyasha?"

His silence told her exactly what he thought of her avoiding his question, and she watched as his clawed fingers closed over the edge, pale against the dark shadows. He was tall enough, she realized, not to have to bend over the well to see her, but the sharpness of his amber eyes distracted her from the thought.

"The half-breed remains in the village."

His mouth barely moved, but the deep baritone of his voice floated easily through the air. Kagome nodded, and then began to haul herself up out of the well. She hadn't been expecting Sesshomaru to help her, and wasn't disappointed when he simply watched her as she swung both legs over the edge; after all, she was just a—

_No you're not,_ a voice whispered in the back of her mind. Her thoughts skid to a complete halt, and she threw an alarmed glance in Sesshomaru's direction. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Lord Sesshomaru—"

She hesitated.

Asking the stoic inu the questions that buzzed around in her mind could go either way for her, and she knew it. If he answered, he could confirm what she already knew and solidify her growing panic. If he didn't answer, she would be forced to explain herself despite his lack of response, leaving her emotions to play on her sleeve.

"Sesshomaru, I—"

His eyes were too bright, too piercing, and she couldn't ask him, not directly. She bit her lip and reached down, pulling her bag into her lap. His gaze bore into the side of her head as she reached in and pulled the old leather-bound volume, flipping it open to the story of her father's legend.

She turned to him then, licking her lips and holding out the book. "I know that I can trust you, Sesshomaru, and I know you wouldn't lie. I need—I need you to tell me if this is the truth."

Deep down, she felt a twinge of regret for needing another opinion, but her mind didn't want to wrap around the fact that she was a youkai. After seventeen years of life as a human, she couldn't make herself believe it, even though she knew it was true.

Sesshomaru's clawed fingers slipped beneath her own, and his large hand was enough to cradle the spine of the book in his palm. Amber eyes slid over the words much quicker than Kagome figured they would have, and he looked at her before she was ready.

"Lord Shinosamu was killed over a century ago." She nodded, tears stinging at her eyes. "Miko, you will explain yourself."

She took a deep breath. "I—I'm his daughter."

**

* * *

**

The woman was crazy. She had spent too much time around his idiotic half-brother and her intelligence was withering away before his eyes.

Did she expect him to believe that she was the daughter of a man who had been murdered over a century before? It would have been probable, considering her ability to travel through the well, but she was human. Shinosamu and his mate had been pure bred, full inuyoukai. The Lady Atsuki had been a daiyoukai herself, and her mating with the daiyoukai of the south had produced a youkai heir. Female, yes, but there was no way that this woman before him could have been the same pup who'd been dropped into the Bone Eater's Well.

Kagome seemed to sense his train of thought, because she sniffled and stood, fissure splitting her aura into equal parts of hopelessness and uncertainty. "I know it sounds crazy, and believe me I spent at least three hours trying to think of ways that would explain why it was impossible." She began to pace back and forth, and he noted for the first time that the usual green scrap had been replaced by long blue fabric that hugged her slim thighs and cupped her pert buttocks in an enticing manner. Momentarily, he wondered what they were called.

"I thought for a few seconds that maybe my mother was crazy, but she—she wouldn't lie to me, not about something so serious." She turned to him again, and he ignored the play of the moonlight across her delicate features. "And then she gave me the letter." She nodded toward him as she spoke, indicating the bundle of odd parchment that he held in his hand. "It's tucked into the next page."

Carefully, so as not to tear the flimsy flaps, he turned the page, finding the letter in question to be safely nestled. It was instantly obvious that the letter had been written on real parchment—the edges were yellowed with age, and he instantly recognized the handwriting.

Shinosamu and the Inu no Taisho had been great friends and Sesshomaru had many memories of the kind-hearted, ebony inuyoukai. When he was a child, he would often find letters tucked beneath his pillows or slipped underneath his rice bowl. Often, the letters contained riddles that he would attempt to answer when he next saw the lord of the south. He could never forget that handwriting—the riddles had provided him with great entertainment, and they were one of the few things he remembered with fondness.

He read the letter quickly, and then turned his gaze back to the young woman who had just proven her position as heir to the Southern Lands. He couldn't deny the handwriting, nor could he say that he couldn't feel the faint traces of youki clinging to the parchment. It was Shinosamu's youki, and unless the miko had traveled further back in time and forced the youkai to write the letter, it was legit and enough evidence for him.

The cerulean orbs that stared back at him were big and full of what he could only call hope. He didn't know whether it was hope for the truth she already knew or hope for everything being a fluke, but he found himself uncertain on how to proceed. It was not every day that he didn't know what to do, but seeing the small woman staring at him uncertainly stirred something in his chest that only Rin had been able to stir.

Her arms were crossed underneath her breasts, and though it appeared that she were hugging herself, the motion pushed the enticing globes of creamy flesh upward, teasing him as the moonlight dipped and played across her skin. Sesshomaru forced his attention away from the sight, choosing instead to focus on the obvious distress that was beginning to fade into her features.

"It appears that your caretaker was telling the truth, onna." Her arms fell to her sides, and she blinked rapidly. "You were already aware of this, woman, yet you are surprised." He was careful not to call her 'miko'—if the reiki in her body was not her own, then she was not a miko and would not appreciate the reminder of it.

"No, not surprised," she murmured. "I—I think I need to make a connection between the pup who was sent through the well and the woman I've become."

He nodded, and she sighed, reaching forward and taking the bundle of pages from him. Her small fingers brushed against his and a light blush dusted the apples of her cheeks. She was exquisite in the moonlight, and his beast reminded him that she was an acceptable mate—after all, if she was really the heir of the South, they were already promised to one another.

He pushed the thought away. The onna was carefully inserting the tome back into her bag, and as she swung it up onto her shoulders, he nearly groaned at the way it pulled her low neck shirt taut against her breasts.

"You knew my father, didn't you?"

He glanced down at her as they began the walk to the village. He nodded. "He and my father were acquainted."

"And my mother?"

He nodded again. "She was with pup—with you—when she and your father visited the Western House for the last time."

A light smile played across the woman's lips and she shifted the bag on her shoulders. "So you'd already met me, huh?"

"Yes."

They walked in silence for a moment, the sound of her footsteps steady and sure. She had grown over the past two years and had finally shed most of her clumsy tendencies. She had become used to the ever changing terrain and had learned to adapt to unexpected situations—in the battle against Naraku, she'd turned a disadvantage into an advantage and it was her quick thinking that had finally vanquished the evil hanyou.

Her gentle inquiry brought him out of his thoughts. "What were they like? My parents I mean."

For a moment, Sesshomaru remained silent, collecting his thoughts. He could tell her many things, but he settled for the simple memories. "This Sesshomaru remembers the Lady Atsuki as being a fierce fighter and she was honored by many despite her status as female. Your father fought alongside mine and they were said to shake the earth with their strength."

Kagome hummed. "That's the most I've ever heard you talk at once, Sesshomaru," she murmured, continuing before he had the chance to retort, "but thank you for telling me."

Again, they walked in silence, and as the village's lights became visible, the onna stopped, turning to him and pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Look, I know you don't have any sort of obligation to me or anything, but do you think you could, um, stay?" Her cheeks went red, and she scrambled to explain. "I mean, just for a little while."

Sesshomaru looked down at her, finding her nervous shifting to be more persuading than any amount of pleading would have been. He inclined his head, and the smile that graced her lips was beautiful.

**

* * *

**

Shippo was the first one to greet her as she ducked through the mat of Kaede's hut. Kagome laughed as she gathered pulled the growing kit toward her—his head reached her ribcage now, proof that all he needed was security in order to grow into his own. His eyes sparkled up at her, but before he could ask if she'd brought anything, she shrugged her backpack off of her shoulders and stepped to the side as Sesshomaru's massive aura nudged against her own.

As his tall frame ducked into the hut, Inuyasha shot to his feet and began to sprout obscenities at the top of his lungs. Shippo cringed away from his waving hands, and Kagome waited about five seconds before she mumbled the word that sent him plummeting to the floor.

In the sudden silence, she turned to Sesshomaru. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru-sama, please sit down."

The big inuyoukai nodded and folded his large body until he sat against a wall. He seemed much bigger in the small space, and Kagome tried not to notice the way his presence seemed to suck all of the air out of the room.

Kagome dropped her bag and then turned to Miroku and Sango, smiling brightly. "Hey guys, how have you been?"

"We have been well, Lady Kagome," Miroku answered smoothly, violet eyes twinkling at her. "And yourself?"

"I'm great," she lied, hoping he hadn't noticed that she almost dropped her water bottle at his title for her—he'd always referred to her as 'Lady' Kagome, but now it was hitting a little closer to home.

"What's _that_ jerk doin' here, Kagome?"

Kagome cleared her throat and glanced at Inuyasha, rolling the chilled bottle between her palms. Something in her expression must have given her away, because Sango's cinnamon eyes sparked in worry and Shippo craned his neck from where he sat, his tiny nose sniffing the air around her.

"Actually, I have something to tell you guys." She hated the tremor in her voice, but knew that there was nothing she could do about it—she was nervous, really nervous. What if they didn't accept her? What if they kicked her out of the group and—

"Onna, calm yourself."

Sesshomaru's quiet command cut through the panic that threatened to cloud her mind, and she took a deep breath. Inuyasha was silent despite the obvious ire rolling off of him and Sango was the first one to speak when the silence stretched out for too long. "What is it, Kagome? What's wrong?"

The slayer's voice was full of worry, and Kagome wanted to smile and assure her that everything was alright, but she couldn't seem to bring the expression to her face. She cleared her throat.

"When I went back home," she began, staring down at her fingers as she spoke, "I found out what's been making my mother sick."

"So does that mean you used your medicine to make her feel better?" Shippo's question was innocent, but it sparked a tide of emotion that she didn't want to deal with. Tears stung at her eyes, and she burrowed her chin further into her chest until the overwhelming urge to cry passed.

"She'll get better soon," she murmured, knowing that everyone would notice that she hadn't exactly answered the kit's question. Barreling on despite the lump in her throat, Kagome shifted, twisting the cap of her water bottle on and off. "I also found out that she's not my birth mother, and that she found me at the bottom of the Bone Eater's Well when I was a baby."

There was a short silence. "What does that mean, Kagome?"

The young woman was glad that the monk had not called her 'lady' again, but the question still caused her breath to run short for a few seconds. She forced her fears to the back of her mind and took a sip of water. "I wasn't born in the Modern Era." She took another sip. "I was born here, over a hundred years ago."

For a moment, there was a tense silence, and then Inuyasha launched into a string of profanities, shooting to his feet and pointing a clawed finger at her. "Who are you and what have you done with Kagome, huh? Come 'ere so I can—"

The hanyou never finished his sentence, nor did he have time to jump across the tiny hut to dish out whatever he wanted—Sesshomaru was standing in front of her before she could think to open her mouth and give the hanyou what-for, the air of his movement brushing her cheek and fanning her hair.

"Sit down, little brother." The words were spoken quietly, and Kagome cringed at the ice in them. "The onna will explain, and you will dredge up what meager decency you possess and allow her to do so."

Inuyasha, as expected, didn't listen. "Since when are you on _her _side? And why are you takin' sides anyway? Don't you have a village to burn or somethin'? Get outta my way!"

Kagome couldn't see much from where she still sat, behind Sesshomaru's voluptuous pant leg, but she knew that the hanyou made a move to shove the larger inu out of the way—that was a pure Inuyasha move, and she knew it wouldn't be long before Sesshomaru put the hanyou in his place. Suddenly aware of the growl rolling through Sesshomaru's chest, Kagome thought to stand, only to be pressed down by the daiyoukai's massive aura.

"You will not harm the onna, Inuyasha." There was another layer of ice coating Sesshomaru's deadly tone, and some part of it must have made the hanyou wary; Kagome heard the shuffle of his foot as it slid back.

"What the hell, Sesshomaru? What's your _problem_?"

The large inu didn't respond, and instead stepped to the side and sat back against the wall. "You may continue," he murmured, eyes boring into Kagome's. Kagome swallowed, and then looked back up at Inuyasha, who was looking back and forth between them as though he were suspicious. His eyes narrowed but he sat again, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Go on, Kagome, finish what you were saying." Sango's tone promised retribution should Inuyasha speak up again, and Kagome smiled gratefully at her heart's sister, taking a deep breath.

"My birth parents were the rulers of the South when the Inu no Taisho was in power in the West. My father's brother—my uncle—usurped him just a few weeks after I was born, and my parents decided to drop me into the well to save my life." Another deep breath rasped in her throat, and she gathered the courage to look up into her friends' wide eyes. "I'm an inuyoukai, and heir to the Southern Lands."

**

* * *

**

Instantly, the half-breed scoffed. "Yeah, right, and Ice Lord here has a heart."

The onna's bright blue eyes narrowed, and anger at the hanyou caused her to miss the wide-eyed, disbelieving look that the kit was bestowing to her person. Sesshomaru ignored the argument the two got into, focusing instead on the way that the kitsune's eyes widened. The green orbs flew to his, and he nodded slightly, knowing exactly what the young demon had detected—a very faint trace of youki had begun to work its way into the strong aura of reiki.

"There's a _seal_ on my youki, Inuyasha," the onna was saying, jaw clenched and fingers tight on the odd container. "If you would let me _finish_, then you would get the whole story!"

The hanyou opened his mouth to retort, but he must have felt the youki streak as soon as the onna did, they both cringed, and Kagome looked at Sesshomaru in alarm.

"The seal is beginning to release," he murmured, answering the question in her large eyes.

"I told her to release it at midnight tomorrow!"

"Kagome, such a seal is a very complicated thing," the monk interjected gently, a sage-like wisdom in his violet eyes, "so it is possible that it must be released little by little."

The onna nodded slowly, though there was a sense of panic in her eyes. The air around her swirled with indecision, and she blinked numerous times in quick succession. Then, just when he thought that she would shake off the whirl of emotion, she broke down and began to cry, large tears sliding down her cheeks and plopping onto the material covering her legs.

Sesshomaru's nose twitched, stinging with the scent of salt, and he was grateful for the slayer, who was up and beside the sniveling woman in an instant, an arm around her shoulders and soothing words crooning past her lips.

After a while, the crying stopped, and Sesshomaru found himself relieved when the slayer suggested that the two of them go to take a bath and talk. Kagome agreed eagerly, wiping at her face as she collected the necessary materials before leaving, throwing him one last, watery glance before she left.

The silence that the two women left behind was only broken when Inuyasha stood and grumbled that he was going to hunt. The kit followed without being asked, and the monk declined, deciding instead to settle back against the wall.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were that of the human's breathing, but a quiet question and respectful tone shattered the stillness. "Lord Sesshomaru, if I may be so bold as to ask, what were your reasons for defending Lady Kagome's honor?"

Sesshomaru fixed the monk with a blank stare, but the man did not flinch. Sesshomaru felt an inkling of respect filter through his system. "Long ago, the firstborn daughter of Lord Shinosamu of the South was promised to the firstborn son of Lord Yoshiro, Inu no Taisho, of the West." He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "This Sesshomaru will honor that pact."

* * *

**Author's Note**: And there you are! Thank you for waiting patiently for this chapter-I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Oh and thank you so very much for the reviews! I can't even begin to describe how happy you all have made me over the past week or so...Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

**~Aubrey**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three – The Beginning of the End

Kagome bent forward and grabbed her ankles, pulling until her chest pressed against her knees. The stretch always managed to get her ready for her morning run, and today it had the added benefit of helping her relieve a little of the tension that she could feel all the way through her body. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she straightened, startled as she came face to chest with Sesshomaru.

He was standing a few feet away, but she hadn't felt him approach, much less had she noticed him standing there. She smiled.

"Good morning, Sesshomaru-sama."

He inclined his head, and his eyes roamed slowly over her body. She couldn't help but shift nervously, wondering what he thought about her workout clothes—if he hated her skirt, he would absolutely despise her spandex shorts and cut off tank top. "It appears you have not decided to dress as is befitting of your station, onna."

She scowled. "Am I supposed to exercise in a kimono, Sesshomaru?"

He blinked slowly, eyes roving over her form once more. "That would be acceptable."

She couldn't help it. She laughed. She knew he would probably kill her, but the stifled giggles as she shook her head at him only seemed to earn her a blank stare. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor," she murmured, gathering her hair up into a high ponytail. "As much as I appreciate it, though, running in a kimono would be really annoying." She crouched to check her shoe laces, looking up at him through her lashes.

He was beautiful in the early morning hours, and she wondered if he'd slept the night before—she hadn't. No matter how hard she'd tried, she couldn't get to sleep, her mind whirling as she'd contemplated her impending change. She'd thought of everything from what she would look like to what would happen when her uncle found out that she was alive. She seriously doubted that she would go through any drastic physical changes, and the fact that her uncle would more than likely kill her when—not if—he found her was enough to keep dread roiling in her stomach.

She straightened, and Sesshomaru was turning away. "Sesshomaru, I—" He'd stopped, and was looking at her over his shoulder, his profile stunning in the dawn light. She pursed her lips and looked down at her feet. "I don't know anything about being a youkai, and I know that you probably have other things to do, but could you—could you stay for a little while after the change? I think—I think I'll need your help."

She gathered the courage to look back up, and Sesshomaru still stood in the same position, staring at her from the corner of his eye. She waited.

"Hn."

Kagome frowned lightly, unsure as to whether the 'hn' was an answer or just a grunt. She opened her mouth to ask, but he was already partially off of the ground, his cloud cushioning his feet. She sighed, knowing that yelling after him would get her nothing but silence.

She reached up and tightened her ponytail before starting off at a jog through the village.

**

* * *

**

When she returned, Kagome was met with Sesshomaru's large body as he stood outside of Kaede's hut. The older miko stood next to him, and though they were talking, they stopped when she approached, a genteel smile creasing Kaede's grandmotherly face.

"There ye are, child. Come in and have a seat." Kagome knew better than to argue and she snuck a glance at Sesshomaru as she ducked into the hut. His face was blank.

Kaede indicated for her to sit, and she did so, glad to be off of her feet after her cool down. She kept her legs stretched out in front of her, gratefully accepting the cup of water the older miko handed her. "Thanks." Kaede nodded and lowered herself to the floor across from her while Sesshomaru settled against the wall to her right, his presence somewhat comforting.

"How do ye fare, child?" Kaede asked, drawing Kagome out of her thoughts.

She took a moment to contemplate the question. "I'm better than I was last night," she answered, nodding to herself. Last night she'd been a crying, panicked mess, but things always seemed better in the sunlight.

Kaede nodded and reached toward the flint and tinder she kept for lighting fires. Kagome instantly took the items from her hands and lit the flame for her, standing and pouring water into the pot. The older woman didn't complain, but there was a gentle reproach in her eye when Kagome sat back down. The girl shrugged, but didn't say anything.

Kagome watched as Kaede went through the motions of making tea, dropping specific herbs and a certain kind of tea leaf into the water as it heated to a boil. It smelled medicinal, and Kagome scrunched her nose as the scent grew stronger. She felt another sliver of reiki leave her body and fought the nausea that threatened to take over as the smell of the tea all but invaded her nose.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Kagome forced herself to breathe through her mouth, and the nausea passed quickly, leaving behind a feeling of relief—she didn't think Kaede would appreciate her puking all over the floor. When she opened her eyes, Kaede was watching her, her eye betraying the wisdom Kagome and the rest of the group had always relied on.

"Your senses will heighten through the day, child," the old miko murmured, reaching forward to stir the tea. Her eye darted to Sesshomaru and then back to Kagome. "Lord Sesshomaru has agreed to help ye adjust, but ye must leave the village before your change."

"Leave? Why?"

For a moment, neither one of them answered. "The scent of a human village is not kind to youkai," Sesshomaru murmured. Kagome frowned and thought to defend the human race but decided against it. She couldn't deny the statement, not when she knew that people in the era didn't bathe daily as she did.

"Where will we go?" she asked instead, looking over to the big inu.

"This Sesshomaru shall procure a location," he answered.

"Until then," Kaede murmured, bringing Kagome's attention back to her, "ye shall go and collect herbs for me, child."

Kagome grinned and reached over to take the basket that Kaede offered her. "Sure."

**

* * *

**

Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest and looked, actually _looked_, at Kagome. He hadn't believed her story at first, but now, with the reiki fading and being replaced by youki, he had no choice but to trust what she'd said. There were other signs too, signs he should have noticed.

She'd never been able to actually control her reiki, not even after Kaede had taught her to meditate. She was only dangerous when threatened, and that was probably because her mother sensed that she was in danger and somehow managed to direct the reiki to help defend her.

Kagome had never been afraid of youki, and even though she had a soft spot for hanyou, it was well known that youkai were inherently unafraid of their own kind, especially if their opponent was weaker than them. Inuyasha frowned. Kagome was only afraid—and minutely at that—of Sesshomaru. She'd been scared of Naraku only when Sango and Miroku had been nearly killed by the bastard, and Inuyasha grudgingly admitted that the fear was probably fear for the slayer and monk, not of Naraku.

"Inuyasha, come help me," Kagome called. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and ducked through the brush, taking the basket Kagome held out to him.

"I hope you're not gonna make me carry this, wench," he grumbled, more out of habit than irritation.

She shrugged. "I just needed to use both hands," she answered, not taking the time to look up as she dug in the dirt for whatever herb Kaede had her looking for now. Inuyasha watched her. How had he ever mistaken her for Kikyo?

Sure, they looked alike, but that was where the similarities ended. Kagome's eyes were blue, where Kikyo's were brown. Kagome was kind and selfless, where Kikyo was unemotional and cold. Hell, Kagome wasn't even Kikyo's incarnation, he knew that now. He wondered why it had taken him so long to see it.

Kagome straightened, placing a minty smelling root into the basket before brushing her hands off and taking it from him. She smiled up at him, and then her face scrunched as another bit of reiki left her body. The expression passed quickly, and Inuyasha felt himself frown as youki grew into the space that the reiki had left.

Kagome didn't know it yet, but she was already stronger than any hanyou, including himself. He was almost wary to find out how strong she was as a full youkai.

**

* * *

**

Kagome bounced on the balls of her feet, watching as Shippo and Rin chased each other through the clearing.

The sun had set a few hours earlier, and Sesshomaru had led her and the children to a clearing pretty far away from the village. He had explained that the children would be sent back before the change, and Kagome couldn't have argued with him even if she'd wanted to—she figured he knew what he was talking about.

Beside her, the big inu was silent, watchful, and she turned to him to find him looking up at the stars above them. For a moment, Kagome studied his profile, and then looked down. The grass underneath her feet was lush and green, and she could see every little blade without having to focus. It was amazing what heightened senses could do—she'd stopped Miroku from groping her, smelled Shippo from a mile off, and had even been able to find water without help. And she'd been told that she hadn't even experienced the half of it yet.

Her breath caught as yet another bit of reiki left her body. It had only been uncomfortable at first, but it was quickly becoming painful as youki and reiki tried to coexist in the same body. She took a deep breath and forced the pain to the back of her mind as Shippo and Rin ran to her, squealing about the fireflies they'd captured in their palms.

Kagome laughed and plucked a blinking bug from Rin's hair, snagging another from Shippo's shoulder. "You guys are covered," she murmured, brushing bugs off of arms and legs.

"The bugs like us, Kagome-sama!" Rin exclaimed. Kagome winced slightly at the high pitch, but nodded anyway.

"They sure do," she responded, watching as a bug climbed across her own fingers before ascending to the tip and flying away. Rin laughed and immediately went to chase after it again, but Shippo hesitated, and Kagome combed her fingers through his bangs.

"Okaa-san?"

"Hmm?"

He was fiddling with his fingers, watching a lightening bug crawl up over his wrist. The insect blinked occasionally, and each flash of light burned her eyes, so she looked away, tracing Shippo's features. "Okaa-san, what happens when you change?"

She cleared her throat, lowering herself to the floor and pulling the kit into her lap. He didn't seem to mind the contact, and she wrapped her arms around his stomach, resting her chin on the top of his head. He smelled like dirt and springtime, an underlying musk identifying him as kitsune. "I'm not sure, Shippo."

"Will—will you leave?"

Rin had stopped chasing the bugs, and was walking back toward them, the smile on her face fading as she neared. Kagome held out an arm and somehow managed to get both of them comfortably in her lap. Rin smelled of the flowers she was so adamant about, but there was another distinctly masculine scent that Kagome recognized as Sesshomaru's.

"Kagome-sama will never leave us, right, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome didn't know how Rin managed to hear the question from where she'd been, but Kagome knew that the girl had always been perceptive, and had probably read the expressions on their faces.

"I'm not going to leave," she answered, pressing a kiss to each small temple.

"Kagome-sama is going to be an inuyoukai just like Sesshomaru-sama, and Sesshomaru-sama has never left Rin, so Kagome-sama won't leave either, right?" The child swiveled in her lap, and Kagome smiled at her broad distinction.

"Right."

Shippo remained silent, but Rin quickly changed the subject, tilting her head back and pointing up at the stars. Kagome let herself be distracted for a little while, but it seemed like only a few moments had passed when Sesshomaru told the children that it was time for them to leave. Kagome pushed back the irrational urge to pull them possessively to her chest.

Smiling, she hugged each of them, whispering that she would see them later. Shippo still seemed uncertain, and Kagome made sure to give him an extra hug before sending him off toward Kirara, who had been sent for them. She watched as the nekomata took to the skies, and then turned to Sesshomaru.

"Come, onna, it is time."

Kagome nodded and followed the inu to the center of the clearing.

**

* * *

**

Sesshomaru watched as the soon-to-be ex-miko folded herself to the ground and assumed the lotus position, closing her eyes and breathing deep.

They had already gone over the procedure, but Sesshomaru monitored her anyway, being sure that she remained calm as the reiki that had been holding back her youki was leeched from her system. It went quick, quicker than it had been going throughout the day, and Sesshomaru watched as she gritted her teeth in what he could only call intense pain.

Her lips parted, and then she opened her eyes, gasping. Her hand came up from her knee and she clutched at the fabric of the blue top she wore, twisting it until it pulled tightly against her breasts. The pain in her eyes was fierce, and it wasn't long before she unfolded herself from her position and fell to her side in the grass. Sesshomaru erected a barrier of his own youki around the clearing in preparation, and then stepped back and waited.

**

* * *

**

Kagome wasn't sure what was going on. One second she felt perfectly fine, and then pain blossomed in the center of her chest and spiraled out to her fingertips. It was slowly spreading down through her belly, traveling along her thighs and down to her feet. She couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to burn alive, but the thought didn't want to stay in her mind.

She was vaguely aware that Sesshomaru was standing a few feet away, but his youki was pressing on her from all sides, keeping her in check. It wouldn't let her move, wouldn't let her breathe correctly. Wait, no. That was the pain constricting her lungs and tightening her throat. It was the burning agony coursing through her veins that kept her from moving.

She could feel the grass against her cheek and poking her side through her shirt. They were smaller pinpricks of extra sensation amidst a sea of pain, and it suddenly became too much. She had to stand up.

The struggle sent agony zipping through her muscles but she pressed on, forcing herself to move until she was on her hands and knees. Her palms were hot, too sensitive. She pushed to her feet, swayed, and then steadied herself. Her thighs protested against the weight of her body and her breath passed her lips in short spurts.

A wave of nausea broke in her belly, and she leaned over, retching and expelling nothing but air. Her heart sped up, and heat flashed through her system as she straightened. She wanted to reach up and wipe her mouth, but just the thought of forcing her arm to raise sent discomfort lancing through her shoulder.

Her vision was bleary and Sesshomaru's fair coloring was all one big blob in front of her. The thought that he might somehow be able to take away the pain flitted across her mind, and then buzzed by a second time, and then a third. Her legs moved before she could tell them to, and she stumbled to the inuyoukai, fighting through the pain and reaching toward him.

His clawed fingers closed around her wrist as she fell into his chest, the feeling of him sending nothing but overwhelming sensations swirling through her system; pain, heat, and the shocks of their youki meeting danced along her skin. She groaned, and the noise seemed overly loud in her ears. Sesshomaru's chest was vibrating underneath her cheek, and the fact that she heard words instead of his growl was only slightly shocking.

"Calm yourself, onna. The pain will not end lest you accept the change."

She could feel the youki caressing her skin, running heated fingers over her arms and down her spine. It was intensely painful but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Sesshomaru spoke again, and her mind was diverted if only for a moment.

"There will be things that you do not understand," he growled, voice an octave lower and a bit rougher than she was used to. "But first you must embrace the change."

"Hurts."

She didn't realize that she'd said it until the word had echoed in her mind, and even then she couldn't recognize her own voice.

"Your youki must reintroduce itself to your body."

"_Hurts_," she repeated, not sure he was understanding her. Her fingers clenched tighter in his haori, and the silk was as hot as his skin must have been. His massive youki sparked against her, adding layers of pain on top of an already impossibly deep pool of agony. She didn't know if she could take much more.

A blow exploded against her stomach, and she stumbled back, realizing that Sesshomaru hadn't been the one to deliver the hit as another one landed against her chest. She fell, one hand over her heart.

It didn't take her long to figure out that the massive impacts weren't coming from an outside source—it was her own youki, pulsing in her body. She fell onto her side and curled up into a ball.

**

* * *

**

It was almost finished.

Sesshomaru watched carefully as the onna pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes were closed, her breathing labored. Sweat beaded on her brow and ran like water along her skin, dripping to the grass beneath her and filling the air with her scent. He could smell the sharp tang of pain, taste the bitterness of agony on his tongue, and yet still he watched.

Her markings had begun to fade onto her skin, and they bled silver, the stripe on her cheekbones sharp but delicate in their beauty. She bore the mark of an heir on her forehead, a delicate eight-pointed star that sat directly in the center, glimmering in the moonlight.

The fingers that clenched her knees were tipped in deadly claws, and the bare feet curled near her rear end had developed dainty talons. Her bones were hardening, her lungs expanding and her heart becoming stronger as her youki dispelled all traces of her previous humanity. It was a necessary process, but the pain she went through would lessen if only she would accept it. One could not fight their own body, and the sooner she realized it, the quicker it would end.

A loud gasp drew his thoughts back to the situation at hand, and he watched as the onna flipped over to her back, arching up off of the ground. For a moment, there was silence, and then her mouth fell open and she screamed, youki flaring.

It was a long, loud noise that woke birds and sent skittish animals into their dens. His youki kept the surge of hers from escaping, but the sound must have carried for miles.

The power fizzled against him, sparking against the exposed skin of his hands and throat. It didn't recognize him, didn't submit to him. He decided to move on to the next stage of the onna's change—her body had adapted as much as it could to her body, and now her beast would emerge.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, her body slumped. She groaned, and then turned over, blood red eyes meeting his. Her lips pulled back into a snarl, and then she leapt.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yes, I'm leaving it there! (Hopefully a cliffie will inspire you all to review? *hinthint* ^_^) Until next time!

**~Aubrey**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four – Youkai

Sesshomaru pinned Kagome to a tree, a forearm pressing against her throat and his other hand fisted in her tattered shirt. The fabric had ripped under his claws long ago, but he held onto the remains tightly, snarling in the onna's face.

He had known that there would be a fight, had anticipated it, but he hadn't expected it to last as long as it had.

At the initial lunge, he'd simply used her own momentum to throw her away from his body, nudging her as he sidestepped her. She'd landed on her back but was up again within a half a second, throwing herself at him.

Again and again, he redirected her wild pounces, sending her skidding along the grass or crashing into his barrier, in which case she would yelp and attack him again. He never directly attacked her, but his claws caught her clothes when she went by, filling the clearing with the sounds of ripping fabric. Her growls were long and low, malicious and animalistic. There were no words to accompany the noise, no rationality to balance out the instinct.

He would have to beat her missing sense into her.

One of her hands came up, and he quickly ducked around the blow. Faster than she could move in her current state, he captured her wrists, spun her around, and pressed her against the tree. She twisted and he wrenched her hands high into the middle of her back in response, hearing her shoulders pop out of their sockets. She didn't seem to notice the strain, only turning her head and snapping at him over her shoulder.

"Cease this struggle, onna," he demanded, dodging her head as it reared back toward his chest. Her skull cracked against his armor, and the sweet tang of her blood permeated the air. He shoved away the immediate urge to find the wound and clean it for her, shoving a leg between her own to keep her from kicking him.

The heat of her thighs sent a zing of desire through his veins, and his beast whispered of other things he could do to dominate her and bring her back to her rational mind. He banished the thought and swept the feeling from his system. He would not dwell on those things now. Not when there was the very strong possibility that he would kill her out of sheer annoyance.

Ready to be done with the ordeal, he lifted her slight form above his head and turned, slamming her body to the ground. The impact produced a noticeable tremble beneath his feet, and he pressed his knee against her wrists, kneeling above her small body. She was trapped beneath him, shoulders out of place and breath rasping in her throat, and still she struggled. She writhed, snarling and growling at him in defiance even as he twisted her hair in one hand and clamped the back of her neck with the other. She stilled and he waited, wrapping her body in his aura to prevent her from suffering from sensory overload.

Slowly, like a man awakening from a dream, the onna came back to her senses. Her breathing became shallow and short, and he heard the groan as it rose from her throat, low and pained. "Se—Sesshomaru?"

He grunted, releasing her neck and then lifting his knee from her wrists. Her fingers flexed and she gasped sharply as he nudged his toe beneath her shoulder and rolled her onto her back. Pain furrowing her brow, she wrenched her arms from behind her, whimpering softly as she stared up at him. She seemed lost, confused, and he reached down to haul her to her feet. Her shirt hung from her body in ribbons, but he ignored the tantalizing glimpses of flesh and shoved her shoulders back into place, disregarding her soft cries of pain.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice slightly rough.

He regarded her for a moment. "You lost yourself to your beast," he responded.

"Beast?"

Blue eyes, so much like the kind ones of her father, shone with confusion. Sesshomaru nodded. "You are youkai, and therefore possess a beast." He sensed her question before she asked it. "You will learn to control it with time."

Her brow was still furrowed, and her aura undulated with confusion, the air filled with the spicy, fluctuating scent of it. While she processed the information, he slowly lowered the barrier he had pressed against her body while subduing her, exposing her to the surrounding forest. She winced and immediately clapped her hands over her ears.

Her youki reared up in her defense, sparking against his own in what he could only call instinctual anger. He replaced his barrier.

Slowly, her hands lowered, and he observed her quietly, taking in the delicate features of her face. As a human, she had been lovely. As a youkai, she was nothing short of beautiful. The small blemishes that had marred her skin as a human were gone, replaced by perfection. Her cheekbones bore two silver stripes that shimmered as she moved, and the mark of the Southern heir, the eight-pointed star, stood out in the center of her forehead, visible only because of its darker silver color.

"Come. This Sesshomaru shall keep the barrier in place until you learn to control your senses."

If she thought to protest, the memory of what it was like without his barrier must have flashed through her mind—a look of slight pain crossed her features and she nodded soon afterward. He turned and lowered the barrier around the clearing, but hadn't taken more than three steps when the sound of her body hitting the ground reached his ears.

Momentarily, he observed her fallen form as he turned back to her. The moonlight played with her features, highlighted the curve of her exposed shoulder and dipped into the hollow below her elegant throat. He allowed himself a brief perusal of her flat belly and pert breasts, then knelt and scooped her into his arms.

She fit as though made for him, but he shook his head free of the thought and walked toward the village.

**

* * *

**

Kagome opened her eyes. And saw nothing. Well, not in the literal sense, but nothing in the figurative sense. No excited Shippo, no worried Sango, no lecherous Miroku.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and surveyed the hut. She recognized it as Kaede's, and she momentarily wondered if the villagers had been notified of her change—probably not. She looked down at herself, noting that she wore a kimono that couldn't have possibly belonged to her. Running her fingers over the expensive looking silk drew her attention to her hands, and she lifted one to her face, observing the lethal claws that tipped her fingers.

It was odd, to think of herself as a demon now. She turned her hand over and laid it against the wooden floor, lightly tapping her index finger against the planks beneath her. It only took two gentle raps to punch a small hole into the boards. She nibbled her bottom lip and pulled her hand into her lap.

She sat silently for all of three seconds before pushing herself to her feet, running her hands over the fabric of her kimono to straighten it out. Her finger caught, and she frowned, looking down to see that she had accidentally snagged a thread. Carefully, she pulled the offending claw free without tearing the thread, curling her fingers in on themselves in an effort to avoid further mishap.

"It is human fabric, and therefore rends easily."

She jumped, looking up to see that Sesshomaru had ducked into the hut, his frame completely blocking the doorway. "S—Sesshomaru-sama." Something seemed different, more familiar, about him, but she shook the feeling away.

He inclined his head, and then turned and left the hut, holding the flap open with a single maroon-striped wrist. She ducked out, squinting lightly in the sunlight.

"Okaa-san!"

"Kagome-sama!"

Suddenly accosted by the smaller frames of the children, Kagome found herself sitting on the dirt, her arms wrapped around Shippo and Rin's slight forms. She didn't know how they had managed to knock her down but the knowledge seemed inconsequential in the face of seeing them again, safe and healthy.

Her mind supplied that they were crying, and something in her lurched forward, prompting her hands to smooth hair away from foreheads and her fingers to brush tears from steadily thinning cheeks. Suddenly mindful of her claws as she wiped moisture from Rin's face, she pushed them gently away from her, smiling brightly.

"Hello to you too, guys."

"Kagome-sama, you're so pretty," Rin whispered, awe prevalent in her voice as she reached forward, soft fingers tracing her cheeks.

"I haven't seen myself yet, Rin-chan," she answered, rising to her feet. Carefully, she brushed the dirt from her bottom, silently congratulating herself as she managed to do so without tearing the kimono.

She opened her mouth to ask where everyone else was, but a warm breeze carried their scents to her. Sango, smelling of the oil she used to keep Hiraikotsu from cracking, was the first to run to her, cinnamon eyes sparkling with tears. Kagome laughed as the slayer unceremoniously hugged her tightly to her chest, near to crying as she told her how worried she had been for her.

"I'm perfectly alright, Sango-san," Kagome murmured as the slayer pulled back and examined her from head to toe. Her eyes lingered on her forehead, and something very close to respect entered her eyes before she stepped back.

Miroku kept a careful distance, and Kagome tilted her head to one side, aware of the wary look in the monk's eyes as he gave her a simple yet respectful greeting, bowing in deference to her inherited status. Ignoring the twinge of humbleness in her gut, Kagome made a mental note to interrogate the usually lustful monk on his unusual behavior, and then turned to Inuyasha.

The hanyou was watching her with narrowed eyes, something in his expression drawing all of her attention to him. She could hear him sniffing, could feel his aura grating against her own. He took a step forward, and before she could control it, a growl broke from her lips, sounding foreign in her ears even though it came from her own throat.

His eyes widened minutely. The sun-gold orbs darkened, and he lifted his chin in defiance even as she growled again. She could feel her conscious mind reeling at what she was doing, but unable to stop it, she slowly receded back into her own mind. It felt as though she were falling, watching what was happening with no way of knowing what was really going on. She felt her leg tense in preparation to step forward.

Another growl burst through her haze, and upon realizing that it came from Sesshomaru, something in her snapped to attention. Her actions were her own again, and she turned wide eyes to the stoic inu, shrinking back at the fierce rebuke in his sharp eyes. Suddenly the growling became words, guttural in their cadence.

"You will not attack a pack member, is that understood?"

"I—I didn't try to," she stammered, resisting the urge to twist her fingers into the sleeves of her kimono. The bashful apology seemed to placate the daiyoukai, and he looked away from her, eyes finding and pinning Inuyasha.

"Half-breed, stand down," he murmured, causing Inuyasha's back to stiffen in indignation. He opened his mouth to retort, but a growl that shook Kagome to the bone silenced his protest before it left his lips. Inuyasha's ears flattened back against his head and he turned, stalking off. Kagome thought to go after him, but Sesshomaru's voice cut through her intent. "Come onna."

Kagome had no choice but to follow, throwing her friends a reassuring smile over her shoulder.

They walked in relative silence, the only sound coming from the surrounding forest as they walked into it. His footsteps were virtually nonexistent and hers seemed overly loud in comparison. She tried to focus on walking quieter.

As they stopped in a clearing that seemed somehow familiar to her, Sesshomaru walked to the middle and waited until she stood before him to erect a barrier around the clearing. Wincing slightly at the feel of his youki grating against her, she looked up at him in confusion as he reached forward and pressed his first two fingers against her forehead. The contact burned and she ducked away, mouth opening to protest. The words died in her throat as strange warmth spread through her system, rounding her toes and traveling out to her fingertips.

"What did you do?" She reached up to touch her skin, relieved that it didn't feel any different than she thought it should.

"A simple transfer of youki. It will keep your beast from emerging."

She frowned. "Why would my beast emerge? Is that what happened earlier with Inuyasha?"

The silver head nodded once. "He did not acknowledge your status as his superior."

"Superior? I'm not his superior."

"Sit." She did so absentmindedly even as he lowered himself to the ground across from her. Strangely, the sight of the big inu folding into a lotus position wasn't as odd as she thought it should be. "You are his superior in every way," Sesshomaru murmured, watching with sharp eyes as she instinctually mimicked his movements.

"Just because I'm a full youkai doesn't mean—"

"In youkai society," he interrupted, "half and full is the difference between the royals and the peasants." She opened her mouth. "What is fair and what is not is determined by instinct and breeding," he said almost harshly, as though guessing what she was going to say. "Because you were born to Lord Shinosamu, you are inherently of a higher status, and your beast recognizes that status even though you may not."

"But—but I'm not even an official lady yet, am I?" Embarrassed at her lack of knowledge, Kagome looked down at her fingers, inspecting the clawed tips with new eyes. Was she really supposed to be some sort of glorified dog? If that was what being a youkai meant, then she didn't want any part of it. She looked back up.

"There is no way of officially being a lady," Sesshomaru answered, eyes boring into hers. "The moment you were born, you were a lady."

Kagome pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it. "I'll have to prove myself to the youkai court, won't I?" He nodded, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady her fluttering stomach.

"You will be presented to the four cardinal lords when you are ready." Something in his tone sent her nervousness rocketing.

"How much time to I have to get ready?" She was almost afraid to know the answer.

"There is one moon cycle left before the cardinal lords are scheduled to meet."

"A month? That's all?"

"It is time enough. However, before you are to worry about that, you will need to learn to control your senses."

Kagome nodded, shoving the impending meeting to the back of her mind. "Alright. Let's get to work then."

Sesshomaru grunted. "Close your eyes, and spread your aura as far as you can. This Sesshomaru shall lower the barrier cushioning your senses."

She nodded, and then settled into a comfortable meditation stance, doing as he'd instructed. The effect as he lowered the barrier was immediate, but she fought the urge t clap her hands over her ears and hold her breath. Her aura pressed against Sesshomaru's outer barrier, and both spread outward until Sesshomaru abruptly halted the progression, instead urging her to move upward.

When she had spread her aura as thinly as she could, she stopped pushing. Sesshomaru's voice was easy on her ears, naturally quiet and almost deep enough to soothe her to sleep. "Tame your aura first, and the senses will follow," he murmured, his youki nudging against her own. "Pull your aura back toward your body, but note the sounds of the forest as you do. Visualize it in your mind and use what you feel to alert you to what you hear."

She began the work without responding.

It was easy to pull her aura back to her, much easier than it had ever been to attempt to tame her mother's reiki. Her youki didn't feel as strange as it had during the early hours of her transformation, and she acquainted herself with the silky texture of it, feeling it caress her skin as she called it back to her.

It brushed against trees and grasses as it came, bringing with it the whisper of the wind or the shuffling movement of a bird. She could easily picture the small rabbit that darted down into its home, the sound of its retreat echoing in her head. She stopped pulling, shoving her aura down into the den after the creature, curious.

The den wasn't as far underground as she'd expected it to be, and she blinked as she noted the small movements of little baby rabbits, all shrinking back away from her aura. She observed their noises for a moment longer, memorizing the grunts and sniffling noises of their breathing. Sesshomaru's aura pressed against hers, and she pulled out of the den, resuming her task.

It was amazing how many sounds there were in a forest that seemed otherwise quiet. The small ticking of ants and larger insects were prevalent, accompanied by the scratching of grubs as they ate away at the insides of tree branches. Even animals that seemed never to make noise—the butterfly, for instance—made a sound, gentle but noticeable to her new youkai ears.

When her aura was successfully returned to her body, Sesshomaru demanded that she repeat the process, which she did with growing excitement.

By the time she'd finished describing, at Sesshomaru's command, the things that her aura showed to her, she could've traveled through the trees with her eyes closed, her hands bound behind her back, and her brain fuzzy. She opened her eyes, shocked to find that most of the day had passed.

The sun was directly overhead, and it warmed the top of her head. Kagome sighed and unfolded her legs. "Do you always see the forest like this, Sesshomaru-sama?"

She still couldn't help but hear everything around her. Sesshomaru's barrier on her senses had never been put back into place, but her own aura seemed to naturally flow with the world around her so that sounds and sights and smells weren't overpowering but informative, as though she were reading a very descriptive book.

"Yes."

"Does Inuyasha?"

"To some extent."

Kagome hummed but asked nothing else. The feel of the forest had lulled her into complacency, and she lay onto her back in the soft grass, allowing the world to tell her its story.

**

* * *

**

It was close to midnight when Kagome cornered Miroku, who had studiously avoided her since she'd returned to the village. Gripping the collar of the monk's robes and hoping she wouldn't ruin his clothes too much, she pulled him in the direction of the forest, stepping silently through the brush until they were out of sight.

To his credit, Miroku was smart enough not to make a sound until she had his back pressed against a tree. "Kagome-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit from such a being of your lovely stature?"

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can the flattery, monk. What're you hiding?"

His violet eyes flashed with something akin to panic before calm suave smoothed the momentary slip. "Nothing at all, Kagome-sama. I have nothing to hide, and please believe that I wouldn't be able to lie to such a beautiful—"

"I said can the flattery," Kagome interrupted, taking a step closer and standing on tiptoe. "And you _are_ lying—I can smell it."

For a moment, Miroku seemed to fight with himself. His eyes darted around, the violet color flashing with uncertainty. He took a deep breath, and Kagome stepped back to give him a little bit of space. "Kagome-sama," he began softly, finally looking her in the eyes, "Sesshomaru-sama is—well, you see, he's—"

"Miroku, spit it out."

His shoulders slumped. "He's your betrothed, by way of a pact between his father and yours."

Kagome's scream echoed through the forest.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And there you are, my lovely readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Oh and in case anyone is wondering, I picture the eight-pointed star as something similar to the compass rose, with four longer points and four shorter ones in between...I wanted Kagome's star to be different than any other star, so that's what I chose!

Anyway, thanks for reading! Oh, and a special thanks to **lara5170 **for her encouraging reviews! Lara, you brightened my day with your kind words, and I'm so very happy that I've managed to capture your attention! Thank you!

_p.s. - I've decided to put An Artist's Touch on hiatus, for those of you who are reading it...This story has begun to demand all of my attention, and I can't seem to find the inspiration to work on AAT. I'll let all of you know when it comes off of break, though, I promise!_

Until next time!

**~Aubrey**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five – Betrothed

It was a well-known fact that Kagome possessed a temper, just as it was a well-known fact that whoever was on the receiving end of said temper usually felt as though their collar had shrunk three sizes. Usually.

Sesshomaru, however, regarded the irate onna with a bland look on his face. He took in her flushed cheeks and blazing eyes with mild amusement and wondered if she meant to intimidate him by standing on tiptoe and jabbing the pad of her clawed finger into his chest. He resisted the urge to scoff; she, who was a full head and shoulders shorter than himself, was no more intimidating than a drowned cat—assuming that a cat could even be considered intimidating in the first place.

Deciding that he'd had enough of her tirade, he reached up and grasped her slender wrist, lifting her from the ground until they were face to face. "You will cease this diatribe," he murmured over her splutters of outrage.

"Put me down," she retorted hotly, her eyes narrowed. "How _dare_ you keep something like that from me?" She squirmed, and he released her, watching as she took a step back, hands propped on her hips. "Didn't you think that a _betrothal_ was kind of important?"

Her voice had risen in register, and he resisted the urge to cover her mouth and prevent the screaming, instead choosing to fix her with a blank gaze. "In the wake of other matters, onna, no, it was not important."

Her fingers went to her face and began to rub small circles against her temples. "Sesshomaru, you have a twisted sense of honor, you know that?" He didn't deign to answer, watching as the onna turned her face toward the sky.

Much to his surprise, she'd insisted that they speak in private, away from the rest of the group, though he was certain that they wanted to know why she had come back to the village in the state she had, obviously angry beyond calming. The monk had the decency to look sheepish, and his murmured apology was enough for the moment—Sesshomaru wouldn't hold his slip against him.

"Why are we betrothed, Sesshomaru?"

He watched her. "Our fathers were acquaintances both in war and in private matters, and when it was made known that your mother would birth a female, we were betrothed. It was the ultimate pact."

She nodded and her eyes slid down from the stars, skipped along the tree line, and then landed on his. "Why didn't you just keep it to yourself?"

Momentarily, he wondered why he didn't earlier associate the sharp blue of her eyes with those of her father. "This Sesshomaru is not a coward, onna. He has long since accepted his lot."

Those eyes studied his face for a moment, and then she nodded slowly, as though coming to a conclusion about some thing or another. There was still a curious light in the depths of her gaze, and her aura swirled around him, caressing his wrists with cool fingers.

"Inuyasha's gonna be so mad."

Irrationally, Sesshomaru felt the urge to snarl and somehow replace the memory of the hanyou with the memory of himself. He suppressed the feeling and answered as indifferently as he could. "The hanyou is of no consequence."

Something almost like a smile tilted one corner of her full mouth, and she sighed softly before turning her gaze back to the sky. "You know, after Kikyo died again, I thought that he and I could finally get married and have kids." There was sadness in her voice that he didn't understand, and he watched her silently as she shifted on her feet. "But he loved her too much and I could never compete, not even after she died." She shook her head, ebony hair swinging lightly at the small of her back.

"You see, Inuyasha never saw me because I was Kikyo's reincarnation. He couldn't decide between us, because I was she and she was me. Or so we thought." Her features twisted into a thoughtful expression. "But I guess it's my mother who is really her reincarnation, which would make more sense considering that I'm not human."

Sesshomaru saw the twitch underneath her left eye before she reached up to rub it away. Her fingers were long and slim, tipped in the same claws that his own were. Her hand fell slowly back to her side, moonlight dancing along her shoulders and lighting her hair.

"I guess I wasn't any better than him, though. I held onto him so tightly that I didn't realize that I was only hurting myself. Oh sure, I would've gotten over him eventually, but if I had only stopped to think then things would have been so much better." Her eyes slid from the sky again, but instead of sliding along the tree line landed directly on his. "Then again, maybe the things that would have been different would have changed something that wasn't supposed to be changed."

Sesshomaru admired her train of thought and inclined his head in recognition of it.

She seemed to realize what the nod was for, and mild amusement filtered across her face. He raised an eyebrow, just slightly, and she smiled. "You never would have looked at me twice, much less treated me with respect, if all of this youkai business wouldn't have happened."

He raised his chin slightly, noting with satisfaction that she instinctively lowered her own. "This Sesshomaru has respected you for some time." He paused and studied her face. "Inuyasha may have been fool enough not to recognize your potential, but this Sesshomaru is not so unwise." The statement seemed to have caught her off guard and he used the opportunity to continue. "And this one has looked at you much more than twice."

Instantly, her cheeks flared red and her eyes darted away from his, her entire posture radiating with embarrassment. She lightly cleared her throat, swallowing before shaking herself and turning back to him. She spoke, and though she was obviously in a state of discomfort, her voice only wavered slightly. "I'm going to think about this, Sesshomaru-sama. I know I don't really have much of a choice in the matter, but I want to think about it and at least pretend that I'm making this decision on my own."

Without waiting on a response, the onna disappeared into the trees, heading toward the Goshinboku. Sesshomaru listened as she went, satisfactorily noting her lack of sound; she was a quick learner, and he began to accept that the process of teaching her would not be so unbearable after all.

**

* * *

**

Kagome settled against the bark of the old, familiar tree, leaning her head back and staring up at the sky. The stars were a brilliant sight, much clearer and brighter than she was used to, and the moon seemed so much larger than it did when she was human.

"Everything is so different," she murmured to herself, listening to the tones of her voice that she hadn't heard before. "So, _so_ different."

Reaching up, she ran her hand through her hair before gazing at her palm. The skin at the base of her fingers was free of calluses, as smooth as it had been before she'd come to the Sengoku Jidai and become a warrior.

Unbidden, the faces of her high school friends flashed before her mind's eye and she caught her breath against the wave of sadness that washed over her. The fact that she would never see her friends again was like a weight against her chest, heavy and unwanted. Who would she complain to about Inuyasha now? Who would she laugh with at an old memory, or tell a joke to in the middle of the night?

Wrapping her arms around her torso and pursing her lips, Kagome shook her head at her thoughts. There was no reason for her to get so depressed. After all, she did have friends here, and she could make new ones. Right?

Uncertainty sparked in her belly. How was she supposed to make new friends as she was? There was no guarantee that humans would accept her, especially ones she hadn't met yet. She knew from experience that humanity was intimidated by the youkai population, and even if she was youkai _now_, she had been human _before_, which would all turn the youkai against her. It was a lose-lose situation, and she didn't see any sort of way to tip the odds in her favor.

She sighed, banishing the depressing thoughts from her mind. She shouldn't have been worrying about friends anyway; she _was_ heir to the Southern Lands, and she supposed that the fact that she had a murderous uncle was a tad more important.

An involuntary shudder rippled down her spine. How long would it be before her uncle found her? For all she knew, he could've had spies watching the well, or living in the village, or even following her around for the past three years. The thought made her frown; if he _had_ been following her, then why hadn't he killed her? Why wait until she found out about her lineage?

Sighing heavily, Kagome reached up and rubbed her temples. Why did everything have to be so _complicated_? Not only did she have to accept the fact that she wasn't human and was going to have to deal with one heck of a family feud, but she was betrothed to Sesshomaru, Ice Lord Extraordinaire. Frowning up at the sky, she shifted into a more comfortable position, stretching her legs out in front of her as a light breeze cooled her skin.

Mentally, she inspected the daiyoukai that was Sesshomaru. Outwardly, the inu was one of the most beautiful males she'd ever seen—she would admit to that—with his almond shaped, golden eyes and moon-silver hair. His markings stood out against his pale skin, boldly announcing his heritage and position. His clothing, too, identified him as Lord of the West, and although he was cold and detached, there was no doubt that he was known.

But internally, well, that was an entirely different matter. Kagome knew that he'd changed over the course of three years, especially considering his treatment of Rin and his increased propensity of travelling near Inuyasha—not that he _liked_ that last part—but she didn't know whether his change was faked or real.

Scoffing lightly, Kagome shook her head. There was no way that Sesshomaru, with his strong sense of honor, would pretend to be something he wasn't. In fact, he made it clear that he wasn't a liar, wasn't the type of youkai who deceived others to get what he wanted—he took it either by force or by cold calculation, neither of which was unheard of in this era.

It was his honor, too, that probably compelled him to decide that he would keep the pact that was forged between their fathers. He really could've kept it to himself, especially since their fathers were dead and unable to enforce the betrothal, but for him to have kept silent about it would have only meant that he would have had to lie by way of omission. And Sesshomaru didn't lie.

The real heart of the matter, however, was her approval and Kagome closed her eyes as she weighed her options.

Agreeing to the betrothal and therefore agreeing to a marriage—or a mating, as youkai called it—with Sesshomaru would definitely have its perks. For one, she would be joined with one of, if not the, strongest youkai in all of Japan. She would be protected and provided for, not to mention respected. His mannerisms were easy enough to get used to, and she could admit to finding his presence a little comforting at times; there was something about his quiet power that soothed her, and Kami only knew how much soothing she needed after a day with Inuyasha.

On the downside, his lack of emotion could filter into other aspects of his life, and she didn't want to be stuck with a complete ice block, even though she was sure that she could deal with it if she had to. He was also just a touch controlling sometimes, and expected for his every demand to be met with nothing but obedience; Kagome was an independent girl, and obedience didn't necessarily make it to the top of her list.

Another heavy sigh fell from her lips, and Kagome continued to ponder as the moon traveled across the star strewn sky.

**

* * *

**

"Okaa-san, you're back!"

Smiling as Shippo launched himself into her legs, Kagome nodded and smoothed his hair away from his face when he looked up at her. "Where is everyone, Shippo?"

The growing kitsune turned and pointed toward Kaede's hut. "They're all in there with Kaede, but Rin and I had to leave while the grown-ups—" he yawned "—talked. Rin fell asleep but I stayed up to wait for you."

Reaching down, Kagome swept the kit up into her arms, smiling at him and kissing his forehead. "Thank you, Shippo. Do you know how long they've been talking?" She rounded the corner, relieved to see Ah-Un curled up near the hut, Rin safely nestled against him.

"Ever since Lord Sesshomaru came back without you," Shippo responded, lowering his voice as they came within a few feet of the sleeping girl.

Kagome hummed quietly, setting Shippo beside the dragon and lightly petting both of its heads before kneeling to kiss Rin's forehead. The girl didn't waken, and Kagome brushed a wisp of chocolate hair away from her face before straightening. "Shippo, stay here, alright?"

Nodding, the kitsune curled up against Rin's side, and Kagome turned toward the hut, feeling Sesshomaru's barrier give way as she neared it. She ducked inside, suppressing a shiver as the barrier closed behind her. "Hey guys."

Seated in her usual spot before the fire, Kaede was the first to speak, inclining her head as she offered Kagome a cup of mild-smelling tea. "Welcome back, child." Kagome settled on the floor, and it wasn't long before Kaede spoke once more. "Lord Sesshomaru has informed us of the situation," she murmured, sipping from her own steaming cup. "Have ye made your decision?" Staring down into her cup, Kagome frowned lightly. She _had_ made a decision, but...

Glancing up again, she caught Sango's eye, and the slayer smiled gently. Kagome inspected her face, seeing the encouragement shining in her eyes. She looked to Miroku, and then to Kaede, and then to Inuyasha, and the hanyou held her gaze, his amber orbs glimmering with repressed anger. For a moment, she looked at him, and then she blinked and turned to Sesshomaru, who sat against the wall to her left, one arm resting on his bent leg. His eyes, wide and alert, held her captive, the amber color a deeper, richer tone than Inuyasha's. She swallowed.

"I thought about a lot of things tonight," she began, not taking her eyes away from Sesshomaru even though it felt like he was reading her mind. "But I have made my decision." She swallowed again, and Sesshomaru's gaze shifted just slightly, the slits of his pupils narrowing as he focused solely on her. Kagome took a deep breath. "And because it was my father's wish, I'll honor the betrothal as well."

It happened very quickly then.

She heard a snarl, felt a massive amount of youki flash against her skin, and then there was a crash and her head cracked against something very hard. Though she was positive that she should have been a little dazed, she felt only slightly winded, and blinked rapidly to clear her vision. She was aware of Sesshomaru's youki touching against hers, and as the stars swam into focus above her, she realized that she was lying on her back, and that there was splintered wood and straw scattered around her.

"Are you harmed?"

Miroku's calm voice managed to snap her out of her confused stupor, and she shook her head, mentally inspecting her body and finding no injuries. "W-what happened?"

"Kagome?" Sango's face joined Miroku's, both of them hovering over her and reaching out to help her as she sat up, wood clacking together as she lifted herself out of the rubble.

"Are ye alright, child?"

Kagome nodded, waving off the concerned looks. A pair of small bodies collided into her legs, and she knelt, inspecting Rin and Shippo for injuries as they both tried to tell her what was happening at once, talking over one another and making no sense whatsoever.

"Guys, hush. I can't listen to both of you at once," she interrupted, rising and scanning the area. There seemed to be no damage, other than the fact that Kaede's door was now nonexistent, and the few who had come out of their homes were being assured by Miroku that all was well. Kagome looked back down at the children clinging to her hakama. "Now, would someone like to explain what's going on?" Both mouths opened, and she quickly held up one finger. "One at a time, please."

Rin began. "Rin was sleeping next to Ah-Un, and when Rin woke up, Rin saw Kagome-sama flying like a bird out of Kaede-sama's hut! It was really loud, and Rin was really scared!"

"Yeah!" Shippo interjected, gesturing as he spoke. "And Inuyasha came flying out too, except he looked really angry and he was growling and saying bad things about you!"

"And then Sesshomaru-sama came out and threw Inuyasha-sama into the trees over there," Rin added, pointing. "They haven't come back yet…Are they okay, Kagome-sama?"

Sighing, Kagome nodded. "I'm sure they're fine, Rin. I'll tell you what; why don't you and Shippo stay here while I go see if I can find them?"

"Kagome, are you sure that's a good idea?" Sango's voice was quiet and thick with apprehension, and Kagome bit her bottom lip before nodding.

"I have to," she replied, catching both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's scents on the breeze. "Or else they might kill each other." She didn't wait for a reply, instead hugging the children and stalking off into the trees.

**

* * *

**

"Come now, little brother, is that the best you can do?"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

"Such a pity that you fall to childish insults, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru pushed the hanyou back, pressing his forearm into his throat as he pinned him to the tree behind him. Leaning closer, he grinned. "Or does the fact that Kagome is mine reduce you to stupidity?"

With a snarl, Inuyasha pushed away from the tree, though his claws swiped at nothing more than air as Sesshomaru leapt away from him, watching as the irate hanyou cracked his knuckles. "She doesn't belong to _you_, asshole, and she_ never_ will!" He made to leap, but in the instant that it seemed he would leave the ground, Kagome came bursting through the tree line, sapphire eyes blazing and youki swirling about her body in nearly translucent silver tendrils.

Her ire stopped the hanyou in his tracks, and he growled at her, though instinct prompted him to take a step back away from her even as he pointed a clawed finger in her direction. "You! Tell him you don't want this! Tell him you lied!"

Standing in the space between them, Kagome shook her head, hands fisted at her sides. "No Inuyasha, because I was telling the truth." The half-breed made a move as though he were going to step forward, but Kagome growled, the sound halting any further progress. "Just stop it, Inuyasha."

"I don't get it, Kagome," Inuyasha yelled, his youki rising. "Why would you do this to me, huh?"

Obviously frustrated, Kagome ran a hand through her hair, a scowl marring her brow. "Why does everything always have to be about _you_?" she retorted, voice distorted and angry. "Why can't I do something for _me_?"

Sesshomaru watched her take a step forward, and, unsure of where the urge came from, refrained from snatching her away from the still fuming half-breed. She reached up and placed a finger in the center of his fire rat clad chest, claw denting the fabric.

"My world doesn't revolve around you anymore, got that?" she asked, forcefully jabbing her finger on each word. "You might not think I'm making the right decision, but I'm going to do it anyway, because it's what _I_ want to do!"

"And you think he's doing this because he _wants_ to?" Inuyasha asked, shoving a clawed finger in his direction. "This is all about power to him! Honor or not, Sesshomaru would mate anything if it was powerful enough!"

"That's his prerogative Inuyasha! But do you want to know the difference between him and you? _Respect_! He _respects_ me, and that's more than you've _ever_ done!"

The words seemed to deal an invisible blow; Inuyasha flinched as though he'd been struck, and his ears flattened against his head. "That's not true, Kagome. I always respected you."

The onna scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she pursed her lips and took a couple steps back, branches snapping under her feet. "Is that what you call respect, Inuyasha? Sneaking off behind my back to rut with a dead woman?" The hanyou opened his mouth, but Kagome barreled on, ticking off her fingers as she spoke. "Or maybe respect is calling me names and making me feel like crap? No? Well how about scaring off every nice guy who's ever tried to talk to me? Or perhaps you sending me mixed signals about what you wanted is a better definition of the word?"

"Kagome, you know I – "

"I don't want to hear it, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha scowled and folded his arms. "You're making a big mistake, Kagome. You can't be happy with him. You'll never be happy with him."

Suddenly, the fight seemed to leave the onna's small body. Her shoulders sagged and she reached up to press her hand against her forehead, eyes closed and breath calm. For a moment, she was silent, and when she opened her eyes, she fixed the hanyou with a look Sesshomaru had never seen on her face, a look of complete resignation.

"I was never happy with you either, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha grimaced, and a pained expression passed over his face. He was quiet for an instant, and then he shook his head. "Whatever, Kagome. Just don't come cryin' to me when he runs ofsf with one of his concubines and leaves you alone."

Before she could respond, the hanyou leapt up into the tree above him. Sesshomaru listened as he darted off toward the village, and then turned to Kagome, who was standing silently, gazing around at the clearing he and the imbecile had carved into the forest. Trees had been uprooted, thick trunks had been snapped in half, and debris littered the forest floor, leaving branches to crack underfoot as she turned to walk back to the village.

He watched her go for a moment, and came to the conclusion that the sway of her hips was a very admirable thing.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes, I know. I've been MIA for entirely too long and some of you were probably wondering if I was still working on this...well I am, so don't worry! Life and holidays got kind of hectic, but hopefully things are calm enough now for me to give you semi-regular updates.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review-my muse needs the food!

Until next time!

**~Aubrey**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six – The Hunt

"Do it again."

"I've done it fifteen times!"

"And you will do it fifteen more."

"Sesshomaru this is stupid!"

"It is necessary."

For a few moments, silence reigned in the small, sunlit clearing. The day was a peaceful one, warm and free of disturbances—at least until a silver-haired inuyoukai noticed a flaw in his student's stance.

"Chin up." The smooth baritone of his voice floated through the air, somehow not upsetting the serenity of the space although his words had a negative effect on his ebony headed companion; sapphire eyes flicked to molten gold, irritation apparent in the quick glance. However, the chin of the female lifted just so, and, after a satisfied nod, the lithe body resumed its progression across the lush grass.

She moved at a slow pace, chin held at a proud angle and eyes holding a gentle, almost submissive light. Her youki radiated from her body in calm waves, giving away nothing of her true emotions, and as she came to stand before him, she bowed deeply, deferring to his status as her betrothed.

"My lord," she murmured demurely, rising but keeping her eyes averted.

"My lady."

Color flooded into porcelain cheeks as he offered a hand, and she bowed slightly before slipping her slim fingers into his, moving with him as he turned to face an imaginary audience, speaking as though the clearing sported spectators of hundreds. "I present to the Council Lady Kagome, daughter of the late Shinosamu and heir to the Southern Lands."

Beside him, Kagome bowed once more, and when she straightened her eyes had lost their submissive light and her youki released itself from its respectable confines, swirling around his body in impatience.

Looking down at her and fighting an amused smirk, Sesshomaru inhaled her enticing scent before answering the question he could see in her eyes. "That was acceptable."

A huff left her lips, and she propped her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes until he could only see a slit of blue amidst thick black lashes. "And why weren't the other times _acceptable_?"

Her ire was so potent that he could taste it, and the spicy flavor intrigued him. His next words were spoken carefully. "Because this Sesshomaru was not pleased with them. That is reason enough, is it not?"

If it were possible, her eyes narrowed further, and she lifted a clawed hand, pointing a finger at him in what he supposed she thought of as an intimidating gesture. "Look, mister, just because you know everything doesn't mean you can torture me constantly, alright? We've been out here for hours!"

Lazily, to prolong the intoxicating zest of her anger, he glanced up at the sky before turning his gaze back to her own. "It has been precisely forty-five minutes, Kagome."

"Forty-five minutes since what? _Noon_? We've been out here since _dawn_!"

Unable to hold back his amusement any longer, Sesshomaru smirked, watching as realization dawned in her ocean blue eyes. Her mouth fell open, and she floundered momentarily before huffing and twirling away, ebony hair swinging.

"I'll see you later," she called irritably over her shoulder, disappearing into the surrounding trees.

The Western Lord followed at a slower pace, mentally reviewing the day's practice runs of what would be the onna's introduction to the Council. It would be a highly formal event, and one that would either make or break the woman's entrance into youkai society; if she acted correctly, he was sure that she could begin staking her claim as a high ranking lady; if not, she would be viciously shunned. He would be able to vouch for her, and, being her betrothed, had a certain amount of influence as to how the Council treated her, but most would be left up to her.

He inwardly sighed. He couldn't begin to imagine the chaos that the feisty woman would cause amongst the courtesans if any one of them offended her—or worse yet, her friends. She could become quite protective of those she loved, and at times was downright disrespectful by youkai law. He idly wondered how long she would make it before her head was sliced from her shoulders, and then frowned at the sensation that rippled through his body at the thought.

Suddenly uncomfortable and unsure as to the reason why, the big inu shook his head and cleared his mind.

* * *

Kagome sighed and settled back against the tree behind her, cradling a cooling bowl of ramen in her lap as she watched Shippo and Rin play around Ah-Un.

It had been little over a week since the incident with Inuyasha, and although they had repaired Kaede's hut, the amiable relationship between the hanyou and his longtime friend had not been mended. Kagome, though she had forgiven Inuyasha for many things, couldn't bring herself to forgive him for attacking her, and he seemed content with pretending like she didn't exist. Of course, the tension was getting to be a little too much, but she wasn't going to apologize for her decision and she was almost positive that he wasn't going to grow a brain and think about anything she had tried to get across to him.

Sighing lightly, Kagome moved the bowl from her lap to the ground beside her, her thoughts taking a turn from Inuyasha to his elder brother. Irritation flared up in her chest as she recalled their early morning trip to the clearing and her subsequent repetition of what he had said would be the way she was presented to the Council at the meeting in a few weeks' time. She honestly hadn't believed that it had taken her all that long to get the walking and bowing correct, but with Sesshomaru, nothing but perfection was acceptable.

"Jerk," she murmured to herself, catching his pine wood scent as he approached from behind. Knowing that he had heard her and deciding that she was still annoyed with him, Kagome stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed them at the ankles, laying her arms comfortably across her belly and smiling as Rin and Shippo tried to see who could climb up onto Ah-Un's back the fastest.

She heard Sesshomaru's silks rustle as he lowered himself to the ground, and she was almost shocked to see that he had seated himself against the side of the very same tree she leaned against, his shoulder brushing against hers as he reached and picked up the bowl she'd set down. "Have you no appetite, onna?"

Not forgetting that she was supposed to be irritated with him, Kagome idly shrugged one shoulder. "Not really."

"Hn." For a moment, he was silent, and a sniff, accompanied with the light clacking of chopsticks meeting, made Kagome look over at him. An expression of disgust flitted over his features, and he lowered the bowl from where he'd raised it to sniff its contents, his glance lingering on her face. "It is a wonder you managed to eat it at all; it smells of filth." Before she could respond, he tossed the bowl, sans the chopsticks, into the wooded area behind them.

"Sesshomaru what are you—"

"You shall not consume any more of that repulsive substance," the youkai interrupted, the tone of his voice giving away the fact that he expected no argument. Turning to face him more fully, Kagome opened her mouth, intending to tell him exactly what she thought of him ordering her around like she was one of his servants, but at that moment, a breeze ruffled the treetops above them and Sesshomaru's face was lit with sunlight. Kagome's words died in her throat.

He was such a beautiful male, and the sunlight seemed to be adamant about highlighting everything about him that made him that way; his hair shone brilliantly, making his fair skin seem that much fairer against the markings on his cheeks. Even his mouth seemed to taunt her with its perfection, upper and lower lip touched ever so gently by the sun. The line of his jaw, though it might've seemed feminine to others, was suddenly one of the most alluring jaw lines she had ever seen, and the portion of his neck that she could see made her want to lean forward and—

"Kagome-sama, look!"

Suddenly, Kagome realized that she was staring, and, even more embarrassing was the fact that Sesshomaru was gazing right back at her, an unreadable light in his eyes. Tearing her eyes away, she looked to see what the child wanted her to see, and, after she made the necessary noises of awe and amazement at a particularly perfect flower, took the bloom as it was offered to her.

"Thank you, Rin," she murmured, hugging the girl before she ran back into the clearing, tackling Shippo into the grass and inciting a game of tag.

Rolling the stem of the flower between her fingers, Kagome fought the urge to look at Sesshomaru again and jumped when his baritone voice rumbled through the small space between them. "Did you like what you saw, onna?"

Her cheeks burned, and it was only the teasing touch of his youki that kept her from standing and leaving him to enjoy the day by himself. Clearing her throat, she glanced at him through her eyelashes, twirling the flower around between her fingers. "That depends," she responded softly, knowing that she was probably red from her chin to her hairline, "did you?"

She hadn't expected a reply, but, a few moments later, it came, and this time she _did_ get up, her ears ringing with his words as she walked away.

_"Without a doubt, my lady."_

**

* * *

**

The onna did not speak to him again until later that evening, and he knew it was only because he had started the conversation; even then, her vibrant eyes darted to and fro, eager for a distraction that would remove her from his presence. "Is there a problem?" he asked after an especially hard swallow drew his attention to her elegant throat.

Her eyes darted to his and she shook her head, licking her lips before answering the question that he'd asked upon cornering her before her bath. "I won't be gone for long. I'm just going to go bathe with Sango and I'll be right back," she said, her voice overly cheerful though her aura was anything but.

He inclined his head and dismissed her anxiety. "Very well. This Sesshomaru will speak with you when you return."

She nodded quickly and was gone before he could say anything more, the fading sunlight somehow capturing and shielding her from his gaze. He stared off in the direction she had gone for a moment, thinking back on the way her cheeks had flushed earlier that morning, after he'd admitted that he found her attractive. It had been an endearing moment, and though he was not one for endearing moments, he discovered that the thought of them with his betrothed were not as unbearable as he had perceived they would be.

With a grunt, he turned and made his way through the trees, back toward the village and his ward, to await the onna's return.

She came back just a little over an hour later, flushed from the springs but smelling as though the kami themselves had bestowed her with the sweetest smelling perfume they knew of. It took a fair amount of control for him not to inhale her scent as she passed, and the damp mass of her hair fell around her face in an enticing manner, so much so that it took an even greater amount of control not to ravish her as she looked up at him, smiling gently in his direction.

"Sesshomaru-sama, did you still need to speak with me?" she asked quietly, pushing things into the monstrous yellow pack she carried with her.

"Hn."

Her nightly ritual with the slayer seemed to have calmed whatever nervous energy she'd gathered toward him during the day, and she followed him out of the hut with no complaint, running her fingers through her hair as she stood before him. "Well?"

He studied her for a moment, watching curiosity play in the depths of her eyes. "Tonight, we hunt."

"Hunt?"

He nodded. "Soon, food as humans eat it will not satiate your hunger."

She frowned, lips twisting with the expression. "Why not?"

Before answering, he turned, and, motioning for her to follow him, began to walk out of the village. Her footsteps were quiet, and the clothing she'd donned, another mysterious set of the odd blue fabric on her legs and a top that seemed to be held to her body by two small strings on her shoulders, rustled as she moved.

"You have not slept for two nights," he murmured, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "And this one assumes, by your state of dress, that you were not planning on sleeping tonight."

She looked up at him as they crested the hill and began to walk into Inuyasha's Forest, large blue eyes wide with honesty. "I-I didn't think that anybody noticed."

He nodded. "Youkai do not require nightly sleep, as humans do. The human body must replenish itself through rest, but the youkai body requires nothing but fresh meat once a month and sleep once a year."

"But Inuyasha sleeps, doesn't he?"

"No. His body functions as a youkai, for the blood of our father is strong."

Momentarily, she was silent, and a glance in her direction showed a thoughtful expression. "Does he hunt?"

"He does."

Her next question came with hesitation, and he stopped as she asked it, expanding his senses to prepare himself for the coming hunt. "A-and by fresh meat, do you mean—" She paused, grimaced, and then took a deep breath. "Do you mean _raw_ meat?"

Amused, Sesshomaru nodded, observing the skin of her face as it paled. "Does the idea bother you?"

She swallowed thickly, pursing her lips. "I mean—it's just that…I've eaten cooked food my entire life. What if I can't keep raw meat down?"

"You will be fine," he assured, holding up a hand as she opened her mouth to speak again. "We will begin now."

Nervously, the onna twisted her fingers, licked her lips, and then nodded. "O-okay."

**

* * *

**

If she had ever doubted that Sesshomaru was a predator, she couldn't convince herself of that any longer. Every move he made, once he'd quietly explained what it was he wanted her to do, held a dangerous edge to it; he walked like a predator, breathed like a predator, and even looked around like a predator, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"Come," he murmured, bringing her out of her thoughts as he slipped silently between the trunks of two trees and stood very still on the other side. She slipped through after him, and then fought back a blush as he closed one hand around her forearm and pulled her close, his breath brushing her ear. "Look. What do you see?"

She followed his gaze, and, for a moment, didn't see anything. Just when she thought to tell the big daiyoukai as much, a rustle reached her ears, and an outline moved against the dark. Suddenly, the form of a sleek deer, its coat shining in the dappled moonlight, stood out against the trees behind it. Its head lifted, and large, dark eyes seemed to lock on them. Kagome thought that the animal had seen them, but then it lowered its head again. She let out a small breath. "I see it."

Sesshomaru nodded, and then moved even closer, the hand on her forearm moving until his fingers closed around the back of her neck. She could feel his claws resting against her skin, but the deer had captured her with its beauty, and she forgot to be embarrassed at the contact. "Do you want it?"

His voice was different, nearly feral, and she felt excitement begin to leak into her veins. The grip Sesshomaru had on the back of her neck kept her from fidgeting, but the eagerness that was making her heart race was starting to make her insides shiver. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she was getting such a thrill out of the prospect of chasing some poor animal down just to kill it, but not even the mild shock of what she was about to do stopped the elation.

"Yes."

"This one has released the barrier holding your beast in check. Let it out, Kagome."

She could hear _something_ beginning to talk, its voice intimately close, as though it were whispering in her ear. **_Catch it,_** it said, sounding like her voice, only more primal and obviously stimulated by the deer. She inhaled, and caught the still oblivious animal's scent, musky and hot; the rumbling growl left her lips before she could stop it, and in the instant that the deer realized it was in danger, Sesshomaru released her.

She took off.

Her consciousness receded, but her awareness seemed to sharpen, leaving sights and smells and sounds to bombard to her senses in an ever-constant flow. She could feel Sesshomaru running beside her, and the fact that he was there did nothing to quell her excitement; in fact, his presence seemed to heighten the sensation, and as she darted around a large oak, hand outstretched toward the fleeing animal, he growled, and she felt it skitter down her spine and tremble in her belly. She missed the deer.

Nearly intoxicated with the speed and thrill of the chase, Kagome felt her mouth begin to water. She was gaining on the terrified mammal, and the furious tattoo of its small heart echoed in her ears, calling to her like a beacon.

**_Now!_**

With a single lunge, Kagome felt warm fur beneath her fingers. Her claws pierced its skin, and the smell of warm blood flooded her nose. The animal keened and fell, hooves kicking at her torso as she sank her fingers into its side, fascinated with the welling of blood on its skin and the scent of its fear wafting up to her. A growl that was not her own pierced the air, and she looked up, claws embedded in the struggling creature's side, to see Sesshomaru's red-eyed form stalking toward her.

"You must not allow it to suffer unnecessarily. The hunt is not for the gratification of the blood lust," he informed her, guttural voice distant, as though he were speaking to her from the other side of a very long tunnel. "Kill it. Quickly."

She thought, for a moment, to deny his command, but he growled again, kneeling on the other side of the animal and pinning her with his gaze. His hand lifted, and he too touched against the wounds she had made, extracting her fingers and repositioning them until they lay at the base of the deer's skull. His grip tightened around her wrist, and she growled before closing her hand around the mammal's thin neck, jerking it harshly to one side.

The brittle bones snapped, and the deer was instantly still. Adrenaline still pumping through her veins, she watched as Sesshomaru carved a slice of warm meat from the deer's shoulder. He held her gaze for a moment, and then, growling lightly, lifted it to his mouth. She whimpered, her stomach suddenly empty, but still Sesshomaru ate, fangs flashing in the moonlight and blood smearing on his lips.

It wasn't until he'd had his fill that he offered her a piece; the dark, lean meat dangling between his claws. "Eat."

She ate. The meat, still warm, was the most tender thing she had ever tasted, and she didn't realize that her beast had receded until she swallowed the last bite; belly full, she looked across to Sesshomaru, whose golden eyes stared at her, calculating what her reaction would be. She swallowed, felt blood coating her throat and the raw substance settling in her stomach, and then took a deep breath.

Sesshomaru stood and held a bloodied hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment, noting how stark the contrast was between his pale skin and the deep burgundy of the deer's blood, and then she followed his arm upward to see his eyes shining in the darkness. She took his hand, and they walked to the nearest stream together.

**

* * *

**

"Sesshomaru, I—"

As the silence stretched, Sesshomaru looked over, finding the onna, though stunning in the daylight, to be frowning. The wreath that Rin had constructed sat atop her head, and he found that without the smile she usually wore, the circlet of flowers seemed almost melancholy. "Speak."

She started and looked at him as though she had forgotten he was there, and then blushed and looked down at her hands. "I was only going to say that I—I want to thank you." He lifted a brow when she glanced up, and nearly smirked when she blushed again. "For taking me hunting last night," she finished, twisting her fingers together.

"There is no need to thank this Sesshomaru."

She shrugged, meeting his eyes once again. She held his gaze, and, despite the pretty flush on her cheeks, asked, "Do you remember when I told you that I needed to make a connection between the pup that was dropped into the well and the woman I've grown up to be?" He nodded. Her brilliant blue stare turned away, and she followed the path of a cloud as it passed over the clearing. "Well, going hunting last night helped, just a little."

Intrigued, he watched as she worked through her thoughts, fingers playing with the fabric of her shirt.

"I know, logically, that I'm a youkai. Before, taming my senses and understanding the world around me was just a task, almost like going hunting was at first. But the more I ran, the more I chased that deer…" Her scent filled with excitement, and Sesshomaru briefly recalled the way she'd looked the night before, wild and beautiful as her instincts took over her body. She spoke again, and he forcefully shoved her mental image from his mind.

"The more I let myself _be_ myself, the more I understood who, and what, I am." She looked at him again, and a smile crossed her face. "So thank you."

For a moment, he simply looked at her, and then, unable to stop himself, he reached up and rested his fingers against her cheek. She blushed but didn't shy away from him, and he laid his entire palm against her face, claws disappearing into the ebony thickness of her hair. Her skin was soft, and warm, and he found himself silently thanking the kami that she had been gifted with such exquisite features; he didn't know if he would've been able to stand being betrothed to someone who was not physically attractive.

A breeze blew through the trees and swept into the clearing, rustling their clothes. Kagome opened her mouth, but she seemed to scent what the breeze brought with it in the same instant he did; she turned, and his hand dropped from her face. They both watched as Inuyasha came bursting into the clearing, his face grim.

"You might wanna come back to the village; Myoga is here, and he brought a kitsune who says he wants to see the Lady of the Southern Lands."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Just a quick little note-I'm in a bit of a rush, but I wanted to get this chapter uploaded so that you all are aware of what's going on over here on my side of the computer.

I'm currently without a stable internet connection, and even though I managed to convince my mother to let me connect (thank God for 4G hotspots lol), I won't be able to upload another chapter until we get our connection fixed. That being said, please be patient with me, and rest assured that I'm still writing, even though I'm not uploading.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review!

**~Aubrey**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Seven – To the West

Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip as she stood outside of Kaede's hut, where the kitsune that Myoga had brought to the village was waiting along with the rest of the group. Behind her, Sesshomaru was still speaking in low tones with the flea, confirming his story one last time before she went in.

"His blood does not taste of deceit?"

"No, my lord, not at all. He carries no spell on his person either; I would have tasted it."

For a moment, Sesshomaru was silent. "Very well."

Kagome looked back, and the inu lord was loosening the tight grip he'd had on the flea's tiny body. His golden eyes landed on her, and he flicked Myoga over his shoulder as he approached. "This Sesshomaru shall accompany you."

Knowing better than to argue with him, Kagome nodded, and then plastered a smile onto her face as she ducked into the hut. Immediately, the kitsune seated within bowed, touching his forehead to his clawed hands, and Kagome felt her face flush. She crossed to him as Sesshomaru settled himself onto the floor, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling as he raised his head to look at her.

"Thank you for your respect," she said, "but you don't have to bow to me."

He cleared his throat as she moved to sit at Sesshomaru's right hand side, the rest of the group seated in various positions around the hut. "If it is all the same to you, my lady, I will do so."

Kagome hummed as she observed him. He wore all black, and his eyes were a bright, vibrant violet, flecks of silver making the color stand out that much more against his pale, almost paper white skin. His face bore no markings, and only the heat of his youki and pointed ears gave away the fact that he wasn't human. His hair was the color of pale straw, held back away from his face and tied near the end with a wide, black band of leather; his tails—four of them swished lazily in the air behind him—were also pale blonde, the fur at the ends only slightly darker than the rest.

"You have yet to introduce yourself, kitsune," Sesshomaru said, snapping Kagome out of her perusal. The kit bowed once more.

"Forgive me my lord, my lady. I am Zenzo."

"Zenzo," Kagome repeated, committing the name to memory. She poured tea, passing it carefully around the hut and smiling to erase some of the grim expressions she saw. Zenzo was the last to receive his cup, and the kitsune took it with a light bow, prompting her to smile at him as he rose. For a moment, only light sipping could be heard, and Kagome was the one to break the tentative silence. "So how did you know that I was here?" Almost immediately, the kit's eyes filled with pain and Kagome opened her mouth, intending to state that he didn't have to tell her anything if he wasn't ready, but he shook his head.

"No, my lady, please. It will be good for me to tell my story." Kagome pursed her lips, but nodded anyway, earning herself a saddened smile. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"I was born in the South, two years before yourself. My mother was a lady of the court, and my father was Lord Shinosamu's advisor. When Takuma usurped your father, my mother and I escaped in the chaos that followed. We traveled North with a guard, and my mother appealed to Lord Kenta. He gave his protection and sent word to the Eastern lord, assuring us that we would not be given up to Takuma in the event that he looked for us." He paused and sipped his tea before continuing.

"And he did look. I remember, when I was an adolescent, a time when my mother came rushing back from the village we resided near with news of Southern soldiers asking about us. She told me to run into the mountains and hide myself; I fought with her, told her that I would not let her face them alone, but she made me leave and swore that she would send for me when it was safe." He shook his head. "I still don't know how she managed to deter them."

"But I suppose it doesn't matter," he resumed after another swallow of the hot liquid. "No matter how she did it, she did, and the incident did nothing to damper her vigor; just as she had when I was a child, she told me the story of your father, stressing the fact that I would be the one to find you when you returned. I didn't know until recently why she believed that fact so adamantly; it turns out that before we left the South, she was visited in a dream by the Seers that reside in the Nusaki Mountains. They told her that I would one day be able to avenge my father, and that they would inform her of your return—they came to her again a fortnight ago, and she told me of this village with her last breath."

For a moment, Kagome was silent, and then she inclined her head. "I'm sorry for your loss."

The kit smiled. "Thank you for your kindness, my lady." He drank the rest of his tea, and sat calmly for a while, obviously lost in his own thoughts. Kagome discreetly glanced to her left, and Sesshomaru's piercing gaze met hers; although she couldn't tell what he was thinking, he seemed unperturbed by the kitsune—a good sign if there ever was one.

When she returned her attention back to Zenzo, he seemed to be just coming out of his thoughts; his eyes gained a bit of light, and he looked at her resolutely. "My lady, if I may speak freely?"

"Of course," Kagome murmured, trying not to frown.

Zenzo lightly cleared his throat. "I am…unsure of my purpose in your destiny," he said, shifting nervously for the first time. "But I do not wish to shy away from my part, lest the kami think me a coward." He swallowed, and although Kagome could sense where he was going, a light flare of Sesshomaru's aura kept her quiet. Zenzo frowned, fingers tightening on his knees. He sat still for a moment, and then bowed, forehead touching his hands.

"If it would please my lady, my life is hers. I give her my loyalty, and swear on my honor that I shall protect and serve the House of the Southern Star until the kami call my soul from my body."

Kagome felt something in her balk and shy away from what Zenzo was saying. She didn't want him to live his life for her—how could he just give up his freedom? She opened her mouth to deny his words, but suddenly, something that Sesshomaru had told her leapt to the forefront of her mind, and she nearly winced as the words refuted every argument she could think to pose.

_ "To a youkai, pledging life and loyalty is not only a test to their sense of honor, but a test of the one they pledge to. It is not an easy thing to give away one's freedom, but harder still is realizing that the freedom is going to someone much more powerful than oneself." _

With an internal sigh, Kagome looked to her left. Sesshomaru's gaze was blank, and she could plainly see that he was leaving the decision up to her; the tilt of his mouth, however, alerted her to the fact that he knew she had remembered his lesson, and she just barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

Miroku's gaze was curious, though encouraging, and Sango shrugged when she looked to her, brown eyes giving away nothing of her true thoughts. Inuyasha, similarly, seemed to have nothing to contribute, and she sighed lightly before turning back to the still bowed kitsune.

"It would please me," she responded, smiling at the relief that shone in his eyes as he straightened. He lifted his right arm, and laid it across his chest, but his smile softened the harsh salute, and Kagome served more tea as the group fell into comfortable chatter.

* * *

It wasn't until much later in the evening that everyone remembered Myoga; of course, the fact that Kagome was glaring at the flat, flea-shaped speck on her palm indicated that she might've been reminded in an unsavory manner.

"Forgive me, Lady Kagome," the flea murmured as he regained himself, bowing to her before smacking his lips. "But I could not resist the call any longer; your blood is exquisite, just like your father's was."

In an instant, any annoyance that the onna felt was swept away, and Sesshomaru watched curiosity spark to life in her eyes. "You knew my father too?"

The old flea nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. "I did indeed. He was a very noble youkai, and you should be proud to share his blood." Kagome opened her mouth, but Myoga made a sound and leapt from her palm to the floor, jumping up and down in front of Sesshomaru. "My lord! I have just remembered the reason for coming here! There is a matter of utmost importance that requires immediate attention!"

Annoyed with the flea's movement and unable to stand it any longer, Sesshomaru deftly snatched the creature mid-jump, holding him at eye level. "You will cease your unruly behavior and tell this Sesshomaru what it is you speak of."

"Y-yes of course my lord! My apologies!"

Releasing the flea, Sesshomaru watched as he straightened his clothing and cleared his throat. "My lord, my sources in the South have sent word that there are couriers en route to every ruling lord, bearing a missive from Takuma."

Beside him, Kagome stiffened.

"What does this missive contain?"

Myoga shook his head, a frown on his face. "No one is aware, my lord. The only thing that is known is that Takuma wrote it yesterday morning and sent the couriers in the afternoon."

"Hn."

Ignoring the rest of the group for the time being, Sesshomaru assured himself that Myoga's concern was unfounded. After all, the cardinal lords regularly exchanged letters in order to keep information flowing between all of them, for political reasons. It would not do to have one ruling lord not speaking to another; the rift it would create could incite war, and they were all keen on avoiding that particular aspect.

"My lord, that is not all," Myoga said tentatively, as though loathe to break Sesshomaru's concentration. Focusing once more on the now nervous youkai, Sesshomaru waited patiently, lifting a brow when the silence stretched on for too long. "I also have information regarding Lady Kagome," Myoga went on, swallowing harshly. "It appears that Takuma has somehow found out about her." His statement was met with a thick silence, and he continued quietly. "One of the servants overheard him speaking with his advisor about finally getting rid of—excuse me, Lady Kagome—his 'simpering elder brother's brat', as he put it."

Miroku was the first one to break the stunned silence that ensued. "Well, Myoga, what can we do?"

The flea shrugged. "Nothing."

Kagome, who had been listening with a grim expression on her face, frowned. "What do you mean 'nothing'?" Her voice was edged with anxiety, and the flea seemed eager to appease her.

"Lady Kagome, you must understand that my sources are naught but spies. If anyone were to take action against Takuma, they would have nothing to go by but the word of a flea, who swears by word of a servant that Takuma plans to take violent action against you. It is not credible enough."

"Alright, then what do we have to do to make it credible?"

The slayer's question was met with a momentary silence. Myoga, who seemed to know the answer but was hesitant to say it, shifted from one foot to the other before clearing his throat. Sesshomaru could smell the tang of his nervousness, and he instantly knew what the old flea was going to say.

"Right now, the best option would be to move the Council meeting to a sooner date. Lady Kagome must be announced as heir to the South, and her position as Lord Sesshomaru's betrothed must be made known."

For a long, pregnant moment there was deafening silence, and then everyone began talking at once. The monk was insisting that there must be some other way, the slayer agreeing emphatically while adding her own solution of hiding Kagome away for a while. Inuyasha gruffly suggested going straight for Takuma and getting the whole thing over with, and even Zenzo shook his head and murmured of finding a different resolution.

"Guys," Kagome said quietly, staring at the floorboards. When the noise didn't cease, she growled loudly, snapping her gaze to every member of the group, which was now silent. "I can't even hear myself think," she ground out, frustration evident on her face. Her eyes fell back to the wood in front of her, and she tapped her clawed fingers against her knee. Sesshomaru could hear the rhythmic tattoo despite the cloth she drummed against, and he carefully watched her face, observing the twist of her lips and the frown on her brow. Suddenly, she looked at him. "Am I ready, Sesshomaru?"

He mentally calculated her progress; over the few days that she had been youkai, she'd learned a considerable amount. He knew that she could be a lady as he knew them—genteel and submissive—but she could also be the ruler that she was born to be. She was no longer the clumsy, indecisive female who had followed his half-brother around for the better part of her youth, and although she may not have been entirely comfortable with whom she had changed into, he knew that she could be presented.

He nodded, and her frown deepened. She shook her head, as though negating her thoughts, and then the expression cleared and she took a deep breath, slowly releasing it. The tension flowed out of her body, and she nodded to herself.

"That settles it, then. How far up should the meeting be moved, Myoga?"

"A week at the least, my lady."

Sesshomaru held her gaze as she looked to him again. "My lord?"

Physically keeping the pleased rumble in his chest proved to be a harder feat than he thought it would be, and he turned from her, silently willing his beast to calm down. "Myoga, go to the West. Inform Jaken that he is to notify the Council of the change."

"And the location, my lord?" Myoga asked.

"This Sesshomaru shall play host," he answered, not willing to be in unfamiliar surroundings.

Myoga nodded, and then was gone. Kagome stood, brushed herself off, and then vaguely motioned toward the direction of the door. "I'm going to take a walk," she murmured, pausing at the door. "Shippo, do you want to come?"

Sesshomaru watched as the kit carefully moved away from Rin's sleeping form, moving to stand by Kagome's side. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and then glanced at Sesshomaru. He inclined his head, and she ducked through the mat.

* * *

Kagome had always loved looking at the stars in the Feudal Era, and now, lounging in a clearing with Shippo beside her, she could tell that her habit of staring up at the sky had rubbed off on her adopted kit. His head on her shoulder, he pointed out different stars, relaying back what she had told him about their colors and what they meant.

"Okaa-san, what will happen to—to me when you become a lady?" Shippo asked quietly when their conversation lulled into silence.

For a moment, Kagome remained silent. "You'll stay with me," she answered, feeling a little relief seep into the anxiety that layered his youki.

"What if—" He sat up, staring down into her face with worry written on his features. "What if they try to take me away or tell me that I need to be with my own kind?"

Kagome pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching out to brush his bangs to one side. "No one can take you away from me," she reassured quietly. "And even though it is true that you need to be with your own kind—no don't interrupt, Shippo. Let me finish. Even though it's true, you've been just fine with me and if you really need to be trained, then we can have Zenzo teach you. You like him, right?"

The kit shifted nervously, clawed fingers tugging at his haori. "I don't know…I guess he's alright."

Kagome nodded, laying her fingers against his arm. "Well there you go. See? Everything's going to be just fine."

Reassured, Shippo nodded and climbed into her lap. Hugging his small body close to her, Kagome buried her nose in his hair, inhaling his scent and nearly rumbling in contentment as he burrowed into her embrace. They sat in silence, and by the time the kit had fallen asleep, Sesshomaru was coming through the trees, youki somewhat lucid. His coloring made him almost ethereal in the moonlight, and his eyes shone like jewels, pinning her with their intensity.

Realizing that she was staring, she cleared her throat and looked down, trying to figure out how she was going to get up with Shippo laying on her shoulder. "Is everyone asleep?"

Sesshomaru strode across the space and reached down, grasping her upper arm and helping her to her feet. She felt her cheeks heat up as his grip lingered just a moment longer than necessary, and then shifted Shippo into a more comfortable position, meeting the piercing gaze that she could feel boring into her face.

"All but the hanyou and the kitsune."

Kagome hummed and began the walk back to the village. For a while, neither of them spoke and Kagome fell into a light daze, seeing but not noticing the forest in front of them. Sesshomaru's youki was lightly brushing against her, and as Shippo murmured in his sleep, the silver inu's aura rose briefly. Shippo settled, and it was this that pulled Kagome out of her slight stupor. She glanced up to find Sesshomaru staring straight ahead, indifferent mask firmly in place.

"You will be a good mother," Sesshomaru murmured suddenly, glancing at her. She blushed, and Sesshomaru reached forward to brush a low hanging branch aside for her. She glanced at him again, opened her mouth to ask a question, and then closed it, trying to fight back the flush she could feel creeping up her neck. "There is something you wish to ask this Sesshomaru," the inu stated a moment later. She nodded, but didn't look to him. "Ask it."

She took a deep breath. "What do—I mean, how will—" Unable to finish, she shut her mouth and bit the inside of her cheek. _Gah! Stupid Kagome! It's just a question!_

"You wish to know about the betrothal," Sesshomaru said, baritone voice breaking through her thoughts.

Kagome nodded, shifting Shippo once more. "How will it work, exactly?" She avoided looking at him, although she could feel his gaze against the side of her head.

By the time he answered, she had begun to believe that he wasn't going to respond; she just about jumped out of her skin when his voice broke the silence. "Once the betrothal is announced, there will be a courting period, which will last as long as we deem it. During that time, you may renounce the betrothal but if you are satisfied, then the mating will progress at our leisure."

_ Mating?_ She'd heard the word before, knew that youkai used it to refer to the lifetime commitment of 'marriage', as humans called it. However, something in Sesshomaru's tone alluded to a different definition, and she found herself stuttering out her confusion even though she was almost positive that she didn't want to know what he meant. "M-mating…?"

They broke through the trees, Edo spread out below them. Sesshomaru paused, and when she looked up, she felt her insides twist at the heat in his gaze. "We will bond," he murmured, eyes sliding along her body, "in more ways than one."

Kagome felt like she would burst into flame if she blushed any harder, and she cleared her throat, turning away and beginning the trek down the hill. She could feel Sesshomaru's gaze on her, and even when they entered the hut to settle Shippo beside Rin, his eyes never left her.

* * *

"My lady? May I have a word?"

Zenzo shifted on his feet as the inu he'd spoken to turned to him. She smiled, and her sharp blue eyes lit up with the expression. He stepped aside, holding the mat away and ducking out of the hut after her. "Yes?"

He cleared his throat. "My lady, your kit came to me earlier this morning, and he has asked that I train him. I know that although you have accepted me, I still have to prove myself, and I would like to have the opportunity to help the kit grow into his own. Would that be acceptable?"

The lady made a noise in her throat, and then propped her hands on her hips and looked around. Zenzo had a distinct feeling that she was looking for the kit in question, and he hoped that he hadn't gotten the little guy in trouble. Kagome looked back to him, shrugging lightly. The afternoon sunlight glinted off of her hair, lighting some of it to white brilliance and highlighting the deep blue appearance near the ends, and Zenzo respectfully followed her as she motioned for him.

"Shippo has had a pretty hard life," she murmured to him as they strolled slowly through the village. As she gathered her thoughts, he observed the way the villagers interacted with her, waving and smiling as she passed. She glanced up at him, and he turned his attention back to her. "But he does need to be trained, so as long as you don't hurt him too much, I don't mind."

Not having expected a positive answer—even after only having spent a few days with the group, he knew that the female was highly protective of her kit—Zenzo felt a little shocked but managed to keep the startled expression off of his face. He bowed to her, and when he straightened she was smiling, face alight. Her eyes, however, were not trained on his face, and he turned to see the Western Lord heading their way, his human ward running full speed ahead of him.

Kagome spread her arms and caught the sprinting girl, accepting a flower with a graceful smile and sincere thanks. As she directed the beaming Rin toward where Shippo was, Lord Sesshomaru reached them, and Zenzo bowed, straightening just in time to see the inclination of the lord's silver head.

"Zenzo is going to train Shippo," Kagome said cheerily, seemingly unaffected by the bland expression that was always present on her betrothed's face.

"The child will need it," Lord Sesshomaru responded, eyes fixed on the lady's face.

She smiled and nodded, and then turned and began to walk back toward the hut of the elder miko. They walked in silence, but even Zenzo could see the way his lady's stride seemed to match Lord Sesshomaru's.

Their fingers brushed, and Zenzo smiled.

* * *

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Kagome asked, looking around at the rest of the group. Sango and Miroku, standing next to a transformed Kirara, nodded to her. Inuyasha, who still wasn't speaking to her even after nearly a week after their argument, crossed his arms and grumbled, and Shippo and Rin nodded eagerly from their seats atop Ah-Un's back.

"We must depart," Sesshomaru said, looking up at the sky. "There is a storm approaching."

Kagome inhaled deeply, smelling the rain on the wind. She nodded, and then looked around one more time. "Okay let's go. Goodbye Kaede! We'll be back to visit you soon, I promise!"

The elder miko smiled softly, waving a hand. "Of course ye will, child. Be safe."

Stepping up beside Sesshomaru, who held Ah-Un's reins in his hand, she managed not to blush too hard as his pelt wrapped itself securely around her waist. She shyly threaded her fingers into the soft fur, keeping her eyes trained on the rest of the group as Sesshomaru lifted them into the sky. He pointed them toward the West, and Kagome took a deep breath.

She was ready for this. She had to be.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! As you can see, I've got my internet back, so here, as promised, is the next chapter! Personally, I'm not exactly happy with it, but this is how it came out and it wouldn't let me fix it, sooooo...

Anyway, I hope you all like it, and don't forget to let me know what you think!

**~Aubrey**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Eight – Determined

Kagome sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair before sitting back on her heels and staring balefully at the roll of parchment in front of her. "Zenzo?"

"Yes my lady?"

"Remind me again why I'm doing this."

The kitsune cleared his throat, and she looked up, catching the end of a smile as he cleared it from his face. "It is imperative," he responded, ignoring the glare she was shooting him, "that you have a grasp on the lineage of high youkai society so that you don't inadvertently insult anyone."

Kagome felt ire rise up in her chest. "I don't _care_ if I insult them," she retorted. "They'll insult me once they find out I was human."

Zenzo nodded. "That is true, but if they offend you first, then you have every right to return the slight, my lady."

Kagome sighed again, turning her attention back to the scroll. She'd learned that there was no arguing with Zenzo, just like there was no arguing with Sesshomaru or Miroku; the three of them had a calm way of refuting everything she said and turning it against her. Of course, Miroku she could roll her eyes at and brush off, Sesshomaru she could completely ignore, but Zenzo? No, she had to _listen_ to Zenzo and take his advice. He was, after all, her advisor.

_'I guess it's not all that bad,'_ she mentally concluded. _'It's not like he's arrogant or thinks that he has to hold everything over my head.'_ She inwardly huffed. _'Not like Sesshomaru.'_

Just thought of the intimidating daiyoukai made her insides twist in agitation. Ever since they'd arrived at his shiro a couple days before before, he'd been cold and distant, leaving her confused at the lack of attention—she wouldn't say that she was _craving_ his regard, of course, but after having gotten used to it during the week and a half after her change, it was a little disconcerting to be without it. He'd even cancelled their nightly meditation and ordered that morning for her to go to the archives and study nearly every scroll he could think of instead of teaching her himself.

Luckily, Zenzo, who seemed to always be at her side right when she needed him, had stated in his customary calm manner that he would like to study up himself, simultaneously offering to keep her company and admitting that he needed the refresher.

They had been reading and reciting and reading some more for nearly six hours, and although Kagome was comfortable enough in the kitsune's presence, she was starting to want a breath of fresh air—it would be nice to go take a walk through the gardens and stretch her legs.

Suddenly unable to concentrate any longer, she pushed the unfurled scroll away from her and stood, smoothing her kimono—worn at Sesshomaru's insistence—as she did so. "I want to go to the gardens."

The kitsune took her firmly spoken words in stride, nodding and rising to his feet. He smoothly led her out of the room, walking in silence.

Sesshomaru's shiro truly was a magnificent structure, with smooth, polished floors and shoji screens decorated with large dogs and flowering sakura trees. Though most of its 'halls' were really only outdoor walkways, the many buildings and courtyards gave the shiro an enclosed feel while not being completely restricting.

Kagome folded her hands into the sleeves of her kimono as she and Zenzo navigated the many paths, unable to get lost even though there were numerous fake trails and dead ends—some of which led right into deep pits studded with sharp bamboo at the bottom.

Following the scent of fresh vegetation and running water, Kagome internally congratulated herself when they walked through an archway and emerged in Sesshomaru's extensive gardens. Immediately to her right and left, large trees with leafy tops shielded some of the sunlight, and she could smell the pine trees that sat a little further back from the entrance.

Zenzo grasped her hand as she reached out toward him, and she removed first one shoe and then the other, tabi socks quickly following. The warm stones felt good on the sensitive soles of her feet, and she slowly began to make her way down the path, absently noting that Zenzo had taken her footwear from her.

The stone trail meandered through flowering bushes and loamy, fragrant soil that held equally fragrant flowers, all blooming beautifully in the early spring weather. The garden was well tended, not a bush or fern growing wildly, and Kagome could see that a lot of thought had gone into the design; the greenery flowed easily, only broken by paths that probably led to alcoves or pavilions. Color was used tastefully, and nothing hurt her eyes to look at—the fragrances, as well, were pleasing, neither too strong nor too faint for her to enjoy.

They came to a bridge, and Kagome paused at its center, leaning on the banister and looking down into the water that swirled by beneath her. She could see her reflection, and though it was distorted, she admired her new features, still not used to the pointed ears or the markings she could see shimmering on her cheeks and forehead. She reached up and touched her face, and then inspected her hand and sighed.

"My lady?" She jumped, and turned to Zenzo, who inclined his head apologetically. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you." She waved off his apology with a smile. "Is being youkai so different than being human?" he asked, stepping up beside her.

She nodded, nudging a stone off of the bridge with her toe. It splashed quietly into the water below, and she watched as it went rolling along the bottom of the stream, too light to stay grounded. "Everything is much sharper. I can see further and hear better, and I have this…this _energy_ swirling around inside of me that I hadn't had before."

"Your youki, perhaps?" the kit offered.

Kagome nodded. "That's the only thing it could be." They remained silent for a moment, and she watched a bird flit across the sky. "I don't get sleepy like I used to, I don't get hungry as often…I don't even have to use the bathroom as much as I had before!"

"It seems as though you would enjoy being youkai," Zenzo remarked, violet eyes trained on the beauty around them.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" she asked rhetorically, tapping her claws against the railing.

"You do not?"

His curiosity was apparent, and she shrugged, turning and placing her back to the railing. Elbows propped on the wooden banister, she tilted her head back and watched the clouds travel lazily across the sky. "I don't know yet. I like being able to see and smell and hear so much better, but there are so many things that I just don't know."

"Things, my lady?"

She glanced at him, and finding his eyes trained intently on her face, she hummed her agreement, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Like what to say, what to do. As a human, I understood the way society worked, because I grew up in that society. But as a youkai? As a youkai, I know nothing. I don't know how to speak to youkai, or how to act when I'm around them."

"And yet those are the very things you are to be learning, onna." Sesshomaru.

Kagome straightened and turned toward the imposing youkai, looking at him with what she hoped was a bored expression. "I needed a break."

His eyes roamed over her form, lingering for a moment at her bare feet before traveling back up to her face. He grunted softly. "This Sesshomaru would have a word with you. Come."

Without waiting on a confirmation, the daiyoukai, turned and walked away. Kagome rolled her eyes at his haughty attitude, and then turned to Zenzo and smiled. "Shippo should be done with lunch by now," she said.

The kitsune took the statement just as she had expected. "I shall begin his lessons immediately, my lady." He bowed, straightened, and then disappeared, the shimmering fog of fox magic wrapping around him and whisking him off to wherever it was he wanted to go. She marveled at the space he'd stood in, amazed at his strength—she'd seen the kit disappear before, countless times, but she knew it had to take a tremendous amount of control to contain the surge of youki like he did.

Shaking her head, she pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned back to Sesshomaru, who was waiting at the end of the bridge. She followed after him, being careful not to trip over the hem of her kimono. Once she was at his side, Sesshomaru began to walk, his youki calm.

She glanced up at him when the silence had stretched on for longer than a minute, and then noticed that he wore a kimono, the silk dyed a rich, deep burgundy. The under kimono was black, and the obi was ebony as well, stitched with burgundy designs. The kimono itself was only embroidered at the end of the sleeves, and the pattern, a bold leaf and sakura design, somehow fit Sesshomaru's style, although the colors weren't what he usually wore.

"The Council will arrive in three days," Sesshomaru murmured, pulling her out of her perusal. For a moment, his words didn't register, and then she blinked.

"W—what?" He glanced down at her and she waved a hand, dismissing the look. "No, I know _what_ you said, I'm just—three days?"

He led her to a bench beside a koi pond, seating himself on the stone and waiting until she was settled before continuing. "It is imperative that you hasten your learning."

Kagome shook her head, feeling panic well up inside of her as the implications of his words settled in. "Sesshomaru, I can't—"

"Your negativity is sickening," the daiyoukai interrupted quietly, the baritone of his voice cutting through the air. She opened her mouth to retort, but upon realizing that she had nothing to say, pursed her lips and twined her fingers, staring at her claws. "It is one thing to be unsure of yourself," the inu lord continued, a breeze momentarily catching bits of his words and throwing them out into the atmosphere, "but it is another to completely disregard your abilities."

Kagome sighed and looked at him, finding his eyes trained on the sky. "I know." His gaze traveled down to hers, and she held his gaze, almost captivated by the way his eyes captured and reflected the sunlight. "I'm just not used to all of this."

"You are a warrior, are you not?"

Kagome scoffed, wondering what miko he'd been watching all those years. "If you want to call running away and hiding a warrior's skills, then sure."

Sesshomaru made a sound in his throat, and his displeasure pressed against her, filtered through his aura and shining in his eyes. "You will not degrade your skills while in this Sesshomaru's presence," he said quietly, voice leaving no room for argument. "You have improved since you first came here, have you not?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"And at this moment, knowing all that you have done, would you call yourself a warrior?"

Kagome thought about his question. It was true that she had improved—honestly, she figured that she was always much too hard on herself—but would she consider herself a warrior? Sure, she could fight now, after having forced Sango to at least teach her hand-to-hand, but she hadn't ever lifted a weapon other than her bow. '_Well, my aim has gotten a lot better,_' she admitted to herself, internally wincing as she remembered how horrible her aim had been just three years ago.

But in the two years it took to collect all the shards and put the Jewel back together, and then in the one that it took to collect most of the shards for a second time, had she grown into a warrior? She sighed, and then focused on Sesshomaru, almost shocked to see that he was staring at her. Shaking off the thought that he had probably been watching her think, she shook her head. "I'm not a warrior, not like Inuyasha or Sango or Miroku. But I am a fighter—Okaa-san always called me a fighter."

For a moment, Sesshomaru's gaze was blank. Then he inclined his head. "Very well. A fighter, then, is what you are. The Council's arrival will be a true test of your ability to fight, Kagome." He paused, and then stood, casting an unreadable look down on her before he turned to walk away. "This Sesshomaru has never known you to back away from a battle," he said over his shoulder. "Will you do so now?"

Kagome watched him walk away. He didn't turn back, but if he had, there was no doubt that he would've been proud of the determination that took over her features. After all, she only had three days; it was obviously time to step completely out of her insecurities and into the confidence inherent of the youkai race.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, here it is, just as promised. It's much shorter than I had originally planned, but when I got to this point, I felt the need to stop, so I did.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I'll be setting this up for scheduled updates as well, so the next chapter will be out next Saturday!

**~Aubrey**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Nine – Family Ties

"He ain't got concubines, you know," Inuyasha grumbled from his place in Kagome's doorway. She looked up and met his eyes in the mirror, nodding as she brushed out her hair.

"I know," she responded, wincing slightly when her brush snagged on a tangle. Placing the instrument on the table, she reached up and carefully pulled at the strands with her fingers, watching Inuyasha as he folded himself to the floor, leaning against the wall. He kept his face turned from her, but his ears twitched at every sound she made.

Deciding to wait and let him talk in his own time, Kagome calmly finished brushing out her hair, and then stood and walked to the shoji screen against the far wall of her room, sliding it back to let in the night air; she stepped out onto the balcony and let her thoughts wander.

It had been two days since the talk with Sesshomaru in the garden, and the fact that the Council would arrive in the morning sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Even though she'd studied her butt off and forced herself to pull her attitude together, it was still hard not to let a 'what if' mentality burn her determination to the ground.

"What're you thinkin' about?"

Inuyasha's gruff question startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked to her left, not having heard him cross the room. Folding her arms on the railing, she leaned against them, turning back to the sky and watching the moon make her slow progress across the cloudless expanse. "I'm trying not to let myself freak out," she answered quietly.

"About tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He remained silent, and she sighed. "But I guess worrying about it isn't going to make it any easier for me to stand in front of kami knows how many people and let Sesshomaru declare me the heir to the South."

For a few minutes, they didn't speak. "I was angry," Inuyasha blurted suddenly. She glanced at him to find his gaze locked on his fingers, which he had holding the banister so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"I know," she responded.

"I-I just couldn't believe that that bastard was getting something else I could never have." He shifted on his feet, sighing heavily. "He got to know our father; he got the lands; the shiro; the wealth…all I had was you."

"You'll still have me, Inuyasha," Kagome murmured, feeling a little bad for inadvertently causing her friend pain.

"Yeah, right," the hanyou scoffed, tossing his head back and staring at the stars. "And Sesshomaru will finally pull that stick out of his ass."

Kagome giggled, and then stepped closer and wound her arm around his waist. "I'm not going to stop being your friend, Inuyasha," she said, looking up at him with a smile. "Sesshomaru will just have to get used to you." The hanyou grunted. Kagome grinned, turning her gaze back to the stars. "And I accept your apology."

A quiet huff met her ears, and she knew that things between them would be just fine.

**

* * *

**

When the sun rose the next morning, Kagome was still standing on the balcony, watching the sky go from midnight blue to rosy peach. Behind her, the shoji screen to her room opened, and she turned around to see one of the maids assigned to her bringing in a tray of fresh fruits and a cool cup of tea.

Going back into the room, but opting to leave the balcony open, Kagome thanked the girl, who smiled warmly before bowing and leaving her alone, stating that someone would be in to help her dress.

Kagome snacked lightly on the fruit, finally realizing that although she didn't get truly hungry but once a month, she could eat whenever she wanted to—it was only when she required a replenishing of protein that fruits and tea wouldn't suffice.

She was just setting her empty tea cup down when a light knock alerted her to the presence of another maid. "Come in," she called, delighted to see one of her favorites, Tsuba, enter with Zenzo trailing after her. "Good morning, Tsuba, Zenzo."

"Good morning, my lady. I trust your night went well?"

Kagome nodded to the older youkai, and then accepted the roll of parchment Zenzo handed to her. "As well as it could without sleep," Kagome responded, standing as Tsuba began directing her helpers into the room. "What is this?" she questioned the kitsune, admiring his decision to have deep blue stitching added to his usually black haori. "You look nice."

The kit smiled. "Thank you, my lady. As for this," he tapped the scroll, "it is a missive from your uncle. It has just arrived."

Any good mood drained from her system, and she sighed. "Has Sesshomaru seen it?" Tsuba motioned for her to come and stand in front of her mirror, and she handed the scroll to Zenzo as the raccoon youkai began the long task of dressing her in an elaborate kimono.

"No, my lady. That is not the letter addressed to Lord Sesshomaru; that one is with him." He cleared his throat. "This one is written to you."

Kagome frowned. Why would her uncle write something specifically to her? "Read it to me," she whispered, something in her gut clenching—this entire situation seemed wrong somehow.

"As you wish." Zenzo broke the wax seal, and then carefully unrolled the letter. Kagome very nearly held her breath.

"'_My dearest niece,_

_It is with great pleasure that I hear of your return, and I hope that you would grant me the honor of seeing you upon my arrival in the Western Lands. My brother would be proud to know that you are ready to accept your birthright, and it is my prayer that you fulfill your destiny. _

_Until we meet,_

_—Takuma_'"

Turning at Tsuba's urging, Kagome met her advisor's eyes as he looked up, a frown on his face. "What?"

"My lady, there is something at the bottom that I cannot make out."

"What do you mean?"

He lifted the parchment, pointing a clawed finger toward a mark at the bottom of the page. Kagome tilted her head to one side, trying not to disrupt Tsuba's flow as she draped layer after layer of differently hued blue silk over her body. "It just looks like a dot of ink to me," she murmured. "Do you think it's something else?"

Zenzo shook his head in confusion. Brow wrinkled, he wet a thumb and rubbed it over the mark, and when it didn't smudge, his eyes lit up in recognition. "Takuma must have a kitsune in his employ," he said, obviously amused at whatever thought he was having.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome asked, calmly watching him as he went to a low table, knelt, and tore the lower half of the parchment from the full page.

"This is a method that only kitsune use to get important information from one place to another," he responded quietly. Kagome felt his youki gather, and in a burst of fox magic, the parchment caught fire, burning with a sickly yellow color. Biting back the urge to ask the kit if he'd lost his mind, Kagome waited semi-patiently, and then gasped in shock as neat characters began to show in the smoke.

They were backwards, Zenzo having been facing her when he'd burned the parchment, but as the kit's eyes widened, Kagome grew nervous. "Zenzo, what does it say?"

He began reading quietly, obviously shocked.

"'_Dearest sister,_

_You do not know me, but rest assured that the words I write are true, for you only have my word that what I have to say is not a lie—Our mother birthed a child before you, but I did not bear the markings of the heir, and per the Seer's request, my birth was kept a secret from all, even the Council. _

_To this day, they know nothing of me. _

_I write, sister, to tell you that I am near. You are not alone in this, and you have but ask it and I shall risk life and limb to see you take your rightful place where our great father once stood. _

_I have but one selfish request—allow me to see you, for I have not laid eyes on you since you were a pup, and I shall like to see how my sister has grown. _

_Lovingly,_

_Your elder brother Ryouichi_'"

As Zenzo's voice faded, so did the characters, and before the last disappeared, Kagome felt a slightly familiar youki brush against her cheek, and then a memory jumped to life in her mind's eye.

_She was small, and wrapped in what felt like soft, malleable fur. She couldn't see much beyond her own hand, which was reaching out toward a blurry figure in the distance. The figure came closer, and she heard the voice before she saw the face that went with it; a child's voice, soft and full of admiration. _

_"Hello Kagome!" _

_A pair of dark eyes filled her vision, and a finger slipped into hers. She smiled._

"My lady? My lady, are you alright?"

Zenzo's voice snatched the memory out of her grasp, and she gasped, feeling her eyes widen. "The courier who—who brought the letter. Is he still here?" Zenzo seemed puzzled, and she felt her belly clench in expectation. "Is he? Bring him to me! Find him and bring him to me!"

Immediately, Zenzo disappeared with a burst of fox magic. Unbidden, Kagome felt her youki expand outward, following the kitsune's signature through the halls. She felt Sesshomaru's interest flare through his aura, and then she followed Zenzo again as he left the shiro. Anticipation built up in her chest, and then, just as Zenzo went out of her range, she felt the same youki that had touched her cheek flare up in recognition.

She barely had the time to gasp before Zenzo was back in the room, a tall, dark haired youkai stumbling into the air beside him in the same instant. He looked up, and Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes.

He took one step, and then another, and then his hands were on her shoulders. "Kagome?"

"Onii-san!"

She was crushed against his chest in the next instant, tears streaming down her face. She _knew_ this youkai; knew his scent; his youki; his warmth. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried.

**

* * *

**

She'd expected more resistance, but when Sesshomaru simply agreed to her request and demanded that Ryouichi be brought up to speed on the plan for the day, she simply sat and stared at him. "T-that's it?"

The daiyoukai raised a thin brow. "Yes."

She frowned, looking from Sesshomaru to Zenzo and back again. For a moment, she observed Sesshomaru's bland facial expression, and then tilted her head to the side. "Why?" She knew that she sounded suspicious, but she really couldn't help it. After all, Ryouichi didn't even exist according to youkai court, and the daiyoukai hardly let her walk around the grounds of the shiro by herself; it was almost impossible to believe he would allow a youkai she claimed to be her blood brother to become her bodyguard.

Sesshomaru shifted, pulling her out of her thoughts. "A youkai never forgets his siblings," he responded. "If you say that he is your brother, then he is your brother."

Kagome hummed in response. She supposed it made sense that she recognized the basic things about Ryouichi even though she had probably only seen him a few times as a pup—after all, the dogs people kept for pets always knew their siblings even after they'd been separated for years, so she, as a youkai, had no reason to have forgotten him.

"Did you know about him?"

For a moment, Sesshomaru didn't answer, choosing instead to keep writing whatever he was writing on the parchment in front of him. "This Sesshomaru did not," he responded, finishing his writing and pulling the parchment from the table, handing it to the surprisingly silent Jaken. "If the Seers do not wish for a youkai to be known, then he is not known."

Kagome sighed, leaning forward to place her elbows against the low desk. "Who _are_ these Seers?" she asked, plain curiosity keeping her from reacting to the glare he was giving her for her casual position. "There was nothing about them in any of the scrolls you made me read, and Zenzo claims he doesn't know them."

Sesshomaru pulled a sheet of clean parchment in front of him, dipping his brush into his inkwell before beginning to write. It seemed that he was going to ignore her question, but she sat silently until he finished writing, admiring the neat spacing and clear legibility of his characters. "They have lived in the Nusaki Mountain Range for as long as any youkai can remember. None know where they came from, but since they take up residence in the South, your father, and therefore mine, made great use of them. Other lords soon began requesting their services as well."

"Have you ever been to see them?"

The glance he spared her made her giggle, and since it was answer enough—after all he _was_ Sesshomaru—she dropped the subject and watched him work until a knock on the door and her brother's warm youki distracted her.

Respectfully, she didn't call out for him to enter, as she was tempted, and instead let Sesshomaru tell him he could come in—when she turned, he was dressed in black hakama and a deep blue haori, black armor strapped securely to his chest and a sword hilt peeking over his right shoulder. He smiled and inclined his head to her, and then bowed deeply to Sesshomaru. "My lord, if I may borrow my sister?"

"Hn," Sesshomaru responded. Kagome smiled brightly at him when he glanced up, and he nodded to her as she stood and slid her hand into the crook of Ryouichi's proffered arm.

They left the room, walking in silence until they came to the gardens. Ryouichi found a suitable bench for her to sit on, and then settled himself beside her, turning to her and giving her the opportunity to really look at him for the first time.

His skin, like hers, was slightly tanned, and his eyes were large and colored a gray so dark that it seemed black at first glance. He bore no markings, but his aristocratic features gave him an air of nobility, and his pitch black hair, which fell to the middle of his back, made him incredibly handsome.

"You have grown into a beautiful onna, Kagome," he said lightly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blushed at the compliment, and he laughed. "And modest as well, I see." He reached up and captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning her head this way and that. "You resemble Mother, yet you have Father's eyes."

At the mention of her birth parents, Kagome nervously nibbled on her bottom lip, twisting her fingers in her lap. "W-what were they like?"

Ryouichi smiled in remembrance, and Kagome envied him for the expression on his face. "Mother was—"

"My lady? Excuse me, but Lord Sesshomaru told me to inform you that the Council is nearing."

Nearly snapping at the young maid who had interrupted them, Kagome nodded and stood, motioning for Ryouichi to follow her.

They headed back into the shiro, and then wound through the halls until they reached the room that had been set aside for the purpose of keeping her safe until she was to be announced. After asking the maid to bring the children, she called down the hall for Zenzo, closing the door as she felt his youki materialize in the room.

"My lady?"

Kagome settled on a cushion, being as careful as she could not to wrinkle the heavy layers of her kimono too much. "Can you change your shape?" He nodded. "Onii-san, could you describe our parents to him? I…I want to see them."

Almost instantly, Ryouichi nodded, and it wasn't long before Kagome was staring at her father as Ryouichi remembered him. The overwhelming urge to run to him was hard to suppress, but Kagome managed to keep herself from getting up, raking her eyes over Zenzo's shifted form.

It wasn't hard to see that Ryouichi took after their father; they shared the same facial structure, and were both tall and broad shouldered. The only difference was the fact that, like Sesshomaru, her father held a mass of fur over his right shoulder, the soft looking pelt colored a black so deep that she could see blue and purple highlights playing along its surface.

"And Mother?"

Zenzo shifted again, and Kagome almost felt as though she were looking into a mirror. She had gotten nearly every feature from her mother, including her diminutive stature, and the only thing that was different was her eyes—instead of the deep gray, Kagome's eyes were a bright, brilliant blue, just like her father's.

She didn't realize she was crying until Zenzo shifted back and murmured an apology; Ryouichi wiped away her tears with gentle fingers, a saddened look in his eyes. He opened his mouth, perhaps to reassure her, but at that moment, the shoji screen slid back and Sesshomaru's massive aura flowed into the room like water, caressing her youki and calming her nerves.

"Come—it is time."

She stamped down the panic that instantly rose in her belly, and then smiled wanly and nodded, taking a deep, soothing breath. "I'm ready."

Sesshomaru nodded once, and then turned and left the room. Kagome followed, noting with interest that the daiyoukai was back in his usual garb, full armor strapped to his chest and swords at his side. His pelt flowed luxuriously over his shoulder, shimmering in the sunlight that came in through the windows.

They walked in silence, but as they neared the great room, where she would be announced, Kagome felt her brother's youki completely disappear. Unprepared for the feeling of losing the familial warmth that she had grown so accustomed to so quickly, she stopped short, spinning around. "Ryouichi, where—"

"I'm here." His voice came from her left, and she looked, only to see him rise up out of her shadow. He grinned at the shock she felt displayed on her face. "I'll teach you how to do this as well," he murmured, sinking back down as Sesshomaru's aura flared. "Right now, there are other matters to attend to."

Filing the knowledge away for another time—and remembering to ask Sesshomaru to train her when this was finished—she nodded and turned back, waiting as Sesshomaru walked into the great room. The light chatter stopped as he entered, and she waited until his aura beckoned her before entering after him.

Despite the instant murmurs, and the louder exclamations as some recognized the family seal she'd ordered be stitched onto the back of her outer kimono, she walked forward, head held high and youki pulled tight against her body.

Sesshomaru awaited her on a raised dais, and she carefully stepped up to it, keeping a respectful distance between them. She bowed deeply, acknowledging him as her superior, and then rose as he indicated, stepping up onto the dais.

Sesshomaru's clawed hand lay in the space between them, and she took it, turning flawlessly beside him to face the small crowd—comprised of the four cardinal lords, their mates, and their advisors, the room was comfortably filled, though still obviously not full to capacity.

"I present the Lady Kagome," Sesshomaru said, "daughter of the late Lord Shinosamu and heir to the Southern Lands."

The shouting came instantly.

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**Author's Note: **And there you are! I hope you enjoyed that little twist, and thanks for reading!

**~Aubrey**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Ten – Complicated

It took Kagome a few moments to realize that all of the noise wasn't made in outrage, but in surprise and jubilation. There were smiles on every face, and she didn't try to fight back the blush as the three cardinal lords stood, bowing to her as she made the gesture.

When she straightened, she saw that one youkai had separated himself from the rest and was approaching the dais, a wide smile stretching across his face. He had a strong jawline and a broad chest, almost resembling the body builders from her time. He bowed deeply, and as he resumed an upright position, Kagome finally realized who he was; Takuma, the uncle who'd murdered her father.

Had she been alone with him, and had Sesshomaru not been standing next to her, she was positive that she would've launched herself at him, fangs bared and murder on her mind. However, since she _wasn't_ alone, and since Sesshomaru _was_ standing beside her, she resisted the urge, forcing every muscle in her body to go relax as the inu opened his mouth to speak.

"It seems the gods have smiled down on us at last!" he exclaimed.

Kagome forced her ire to the back of her mind, remembering that she had a reputation to build. Methodically counting to ten over and over again, she smiled gently. "So it seems, oji-san. It is good to finally meet you."

The flash of mirth in his dark eyes told her that he heard the hint of sarcasm, and he responded in kind. "Indeed, Kagome."

Sesshomaru stepped down from the dais, reaching up to take Kagome's hand as he walked her along the dais to a small ramp, carefully keeping her fingers in his. She glanced up at him and saw approval in his eyes—instantly, her stomach filled with butterflies, and she momentarily forgot about her uncle as the silver inu lowered his mouth to her ear. "Very good. Remember what this Sesshomaru told you."

She nodded, recalling the words he'd spoken to her just that morning—as far as the Eastern lord knew, her parents had been murdered by rogue youkai and she had never been found. The Northern lord, who was the only one besides Sesshomaru who knew the true story, had agreed to pretend that he believed Takuma's farce. To make matters worse, the letter that Takuma had sent out went into great detail about how he had received word from Sesshomaru that Kagome was alive and well—the traitor had neatly tied their hands behind their backs, and they could do nothing. At least not yet.

Pulling her thoughts back to a less angering topic, Kagome smiled as though Sesshomaru had whispered something amusing into her ear, bowing lightly to her uncle as he fell into step on her other side, his youki snapping lightly against her wrist.

Sesshomaru went to the head of the long table, and after she'd knelt carefully on the cushion to his right, he nodded to the servants, who immediately filed out of the room and came back with large trays laden with fresh fruits.

While they set the trays down, Kagome turned her head and murmured over the noise. "Zenzo, where are the children?"

Seated behind her and slightly to her right, Zenzo responded, "In the gardens, playing with the others."

She nodded. "Tell them to stay away from him."

"Your will, my lady." He was gone instantly, and as he left, Ryouichi rose into his place, youki carefully subdued. She wanted to speak with him, but refrained, remembering that he didn't exist as her brother, but as her bodyguard. As the servants finished setting down trays and dishing out portions of fruit onto each plate, Kagome looked around the table, mentally taking note of who everyone was.

Seated to Sesshomaru's left was the Northern lord, Reiku. He was a regal looking neko youkai, with sharp yellow eyes, a thin mouth, and chocolate brown hair that fell to the floor in a straight mass. Beside him, his mate, who was also his advisor, smiled at her, and Kagome smiled back, somewhat shocked at the youkai's quiet beauty—she seemed plain, with brown hair and eyes, but there was an air of natural grace about her that set her apart.

Next came the Eastern lord, and Kagome noted with amusement that he was rather nervous even for a rat youkai, with beady black eyes and fidgeting hands; by contrast, his mate, who was, shockingly enough, an eagle youkai, was calm to the extreme, neither smiling nor speaking as she serenely looked around the room. Their eyes met, and Kagome felt an admirable amount of restraint in her gaze. She skipped over the numerous advisors and guards Haku had brought with him, finding it a little odd that he'd felt the need for so many. '_Does he think that he needs protection from Sesshomaru? Or from Takuma, for that matter?_'

She looked to her murderous uncle, who was smiling and laughing with his own mate, an equally deceitful looking blonde inu, who turned her nose up slightly as she caught Kagome looking at her. Refraining from snapping at the obviously obnoxious female, Kagome met the eyes of her friends, who had carefully placed themselves between her and her uncle so that Sango was seated immediately to her right and Inuyasha right beside Takuma, Miroku calmly in the center.

Faintly registering the return of Zenzo's lucid youki as Sesshomaru held his cup up in a bid for silence, Kagome smiled lightly at her hanyou friend as the light chatter ceased; he returned it with a small grin, one of his clawed hands resting lightly on Tetsusaiga's hilt. Rolling her eyes at his brash nature, she took a deep breath as Sesshomaru spoke. "It is with honor that we gather here today, and it is with honor that we will abide by the laws set by our ancestors. Eat, and be merry."

Everyone raised a cup in acknowledgement of his words, and after he'd taken his first bite, the rest of them dug in, praises ringing out at the freshness of the fruit. Discreetly, Sesshomaru knocked a piece of fruit from Kagome's plate as he reached for the tea decanter; Ryouichi reached around her and took it from her lap, eating it and waiting a few moments before grunting. "It is safe."

Murmuring her thanks, Kagome daintily picked at her fruit, finding that concentrating on the food helped to calm her rattled nerves somewhat; at least until the Northern lord spoke.

"Forgive me, Lady Kagome," he said, his voice pitched at a pleasant tenor rumble, "but I know that I am not the only one who is curious as to where you've been all this time."

Kagome cleared her throat. Seeing a careful warning in Reiku's eyes and taking it for what it was, she chose her words with care. "I've spent my years as a human, my lord," she responded, waiting until the murmurs of surprise died down before she continued. "When the coup of my father's lands occurred, my mother managed to send me away, to a human miko who hid my youki and raised me as a human priestess." She took a sip of cool tea. "I lived in the village of Edo for a time, until I…erm…shattered the Shikon no Tama."

She'd purposefully mumbled the last part, but it seemed that everyone had heard her—a shocked gasp rang in the room. Smiling shyly, Kagome cleared her throat and tried not to fidget as Jun, Reiku's mate, fixed her with a wide-eyed, disbelieving stare. "_You_ were the Shikon miko?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. I traveled with my friends," she smiled in their direction, "to collect the shards and put it back together. In the process, and with my lord's help," a respectful nod went to Sesshomaru, "we defeated Naraku."

"But I heard that the jewel was shattered a second time," the Eastern lord piped.

Fighting back a wince as his voice—he sounded alarmingly similar to Jaken—Kagome nodded. "We were collecting the shards again when I learned of my heritage."

"And what of the jewel, my lady? Will you still be able to put it back together?"

Reiku's question made her frown. In all honesty, she had completely forgotten about the bauble in the midst of her transformation and subsequent crash course in etiquette and youkai law, and the fact that she was no longer a miko hadn't truly registered in her mind in regards to the Shikon. She looked to Inuyasha, who was also frowning.

"Kagome, I don't think it would matter," Miroku murmured, bringing the full attention of the Council to him. Unperturbed by the scrutiny, the monk went on in his usual wise manner. "You told us that the Shikon had been inside of you, which means that you had to have been born with it, correct?"

Catching on to his train of thought, Kagome grinned. "Which means that it's already tied to my youki, not to the reiki I had keeping me human." As she spoke, she reached for the necklace she'd kept the shards in, noticing for the first time that the shards still pulsed lightly as she held the small jar in her hand. "I can still feel them," she murmured, not missing the flash in her uncle's eyes as she looked up. Tucking the jar back beneath her kimono, she mentally pictured a swath of heavy silk wrapping around the container, successfully hiding the aura and gentle pulse of the shards. Her uncle's youki snapped at her, just briefly, and her beast momentarily jumped at the threat.

She pushed away the growl that wanted to build in her throat and she tore her gaze away from Takuma, looking at Sesshomaru as he spoke. "The hunt for the final shards shall resume when possible," he said, the tone of his voice brooking no argument. Kagome, who was fine with having a break from trekking across the country, fought back the urge to snicker as Inuyasha immediately sat taller, opening his mouth to argue. "This Sesshomaru's word is final, half-breed," Sesshomaru stated before he could speak. Growling, Inuyasha clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, making a wise decision for once and choosing not to respond.

The conversation turned into light chat as they finished their late breakfast, and Kagome found that being in the same room with her uncle was beginning to wear down on her nerves. The large space felt as though it has shrunk three sizes, and she felt hot and aggravated, annoyed that she had to play polite with the man who had killed her parents. Though she tried to hold out until Sesshomaru made the suggestion to take the gathering outdoors—he had told her earlier that he would do so—she was getting impatient, and it only took one more giggling fit from the blonde Lady Furi, her uncle's mate, to push her past her limit.

Casually, demurely, she laid a hand atop the one Sesshomaru had in plain sight of their guests, and internally jumped for joy as he took the touch for what it was—a sign of her nonexistent patience. His fingers twitched slightly beneath her own, and though she'd initiated the touch, none seemed to slight her for it; instead, they nodded genially as Sesshomaru suggested they take their meeting outdoors.

As everyone stood, Kagome hung back, smiling as they filed out of the room ahead of her—just as the last guard left, Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. A hand on her shoulder and the warm embrace of Ryouichi's youki helped to lessen the tension she could feel building up in her shoulders.

"If you wish it, you may retire to your rooms," Sesshomaru said, voice pitched so lowly that she was sure she wouldn't have heard him as a human.

She shook her head. "I'm not going to run away from this," she replied just as quietly, lifting a hand to lay it against her brother's fingers. "_We_ aren't going to run away from this." She paused, and didn't try to hold back the angered growl that rose in her chest. "No matter how much I want to rip out his throat."

Her words earned her a sound of approval from Ryouichi, whose aura danced and twisted with a feral delight at the prospect. "I would gladly kill him, dearest sister, and deal with the consequences."

"You'd hafta let me get a few hits in," Inuyasha added gruffly.

"Me too," Sango murmured.

"And I as well," Miroku interjected, voice dark. "His lack of honor is revolting."

Ryouichi chuckled, and released Kagome's shoulder to take a few steps in the direction of the door. Kagome had the distinct feeling that, if she gave him the go, he would be off down the hall like a bullet; there was an urgent tension in his posture, and a feeling of deep longing in his aura—a longing for their uncle's blood.

"No, not yet."

He turned, looked at her, and his dark eyes were bright with intensity. "I can do it," he whispered. "I've refrained this past century only because you were not here, but you have only to command it, and I will avenge our mother, our father, our lands." He clenched a fist. "I can do it," he repeated.

For a long moment, Kagome considered it. She really did. It would be so easy, after all. She wouldn't have to play nice, wouldn't have to keep up with stories and lies, and wouldn't have to figure out how to gently usurp her uncle without killing him. Why not let Ryouichi have his way? Why not allow him the pleasure of spilling Takuma's blood, of ridding the world of his nauseating existence?

'_Because that's the easy way out. Besides, you would have a lot more to deal with afterward._'

Right then, Kagome decided that she hated her conscious.

Sighing heavily, she shook her head, watching as the light in Ryouichi's eyes faded. "We can't do that. We have to be sure that the lands are behind me first." It was a political move, being sure that the people her father had ruled were on her side. For all she knew—and it actually seemed to be the case—the people of the South were prosperous and wanted for nothing; her uncle did all of his dirty dealings under the table and in the shadows where none could see. Their best option was to bring him down by pulling all of his scheming into the light; it would take longer than outright murder, but would go smoother in the end.

Having come to the same conclusion, Ryouichi pursed his lips in resignation and nodded tautly, clenching and unclenching a clawed hand. "As you wish."

Taking another moment to calm herself, seeing as her thoughts and her brother's reaction had riled her up once more, Kagome smiled, looking up to see respect hidden in the depths of Sesshomaru's eyes. She felt her face flush but didn't look away, almost mesmerized by the burnished amber of his gaze.

"This Sesshomaru shall announce the betrothal in the gardens," he murmured after a moment. She nodded, remembering that his father hadn't the time to announce it before his untimely death.

Ryouichi returned to his place in her shadow, and the rest of their group walked quietly behind them as they strolled at a leisurely pace toward the gardens. Kagome took a deep breath as they neared the place where everyone was gathered, a servant having directed them to a vine covered pavilion at Sesshomaru's earlier command.

Sitting on the cushions that had been prepared for them, Kagome placed herself a little closer to Sesshomaru than she had been in the audience room. Carefully pulling and shaping her youki until it entwined with his, she sat silently as he'd instructed during his short debriefing from that morning. Though the two forces battled for dominance momentarily—and most of it was show to catch their guests' attention—Kagome soon submitted, calming her youki until Sesshomaru's easily overpowered it.

Though their display, by youkai standards, announced their status toward each other, Sesshomaru made it a point to speak clearly so that there would be no confusion. "It is this Sesshomaru's honor to announce his betrothal to the Lady Kagome, as directed by the late Inu no Taisho and the late Lord Shinosamu."

The applause was soft and respectful, and Kagome was forced to smile at every face, including the partially sour one of her uncle. Pleased, on some twisted level, at the stick they had thrown into the disgraceful inu's spokes, Kagome allowed herself a brief, triumphant grin in his direction. His eyes darkened momentarily, and then he smiled back, laying a hand at the small of his mate's back and plastering a mask of relational joy on his face.

His phony attitude irked her to no end, but she gritted her teeth, turned her attention away, and vowed that she would make it through the rest of the meeting.

**

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**

It was midnight when Sesshomaru approached her, and she turned to him before he stepped up beside her on one of his vast garden's many bridges. He wore a plain evening kimono, the silk dyed a rich, forest green and his obi in the same shade; the color made his eyes and hair stand out almost sharply in the moonlight, his hair lit to quicksilver glory.

"This Sesshomaru would like a word with you," he said quietly, never taking his gaze from her even after she'd looked away. She nodded, and he continued in the same soft tone. "The Council meetings will begin full-swing on the morrow. If you wish to participate, I can have a servant sent to you in the morning."

"Would it be beneficial for me to be there?"

For a moment, the inu was silent, and she glanced up at him to find his eyes watching the flowing water beneath them, reflected moonlight dancing across the pale skin of his face. "If you are to begin the process of ousting Takuma, then yes. It is important that you see how things are run."

Kagome sighed. She had been eager to spend a little time with Shippo, since her studying had kept her too busy to ask him how his lessons with Zenzo had been going; the elder kitsune had filled her in briefly on their sessions, but she wanted to hear about Shippo's experiences from him. She supposed she could do it some other time.

"There is another thing I must bring to your attention," the inu said, bringing her out of her thoughts. She focused on him, and he turned to face her fully, his eyes taking on an intense light. "This one has already explained that there shall be a courting period in which you are free to decline the betrothal." She nodded. "And since the wish of our fathers has been announced, it is imperative that I place the courting marks."

She felt her face twist in confusion. "Courting marks?"

He slowly reached across the space between them and took her right hand in his own, turning her arm until he could see the pale underside of her wrist. "They are simple marks, placed here." He traced the skin of her wrist, and then touched behind her left ear. "And here."

"How does it work?" she asked, almost a little unnerved at the sensations that sparked from where his warm fingers touched against her skin.

"A small bit of my youki will be pressed into your skin, and it will take shape of the emblem of the Western House, emitting a pulse that will warn others away from you."

For a moment, Kagome nibbled at her bottom lip, and then nodded, giving her consent.

Sesshomaru's pleased growl met her ears as a velvet rumble, and she suppressed a shudder, watching aptly as he lowered his head over her wrist. A few strands of his hair fell over his shoulder, and she nearly pulled away as he slowly ran his tongue against her skin. She heard a low noise come from his chest, and then he planted a lingering, open mouthed kiss against her wrist, sending shivers up and down her spine.

Her skin began to tingle the longer his mouth remained on her, and by the time he pulled away, she felt almost as if her hand had fallen asleep. Resisting the urge to shake it, she blinked slowly, more interested than she would care to admit. Sesshomaru hovered over her wrist, and then, lips parted, sighed heavily, his breath chasing away the pins and needles and sending gentle waves of pleasure all the way to her toes. Some part of her brain short-circuited, and a heady fog settled over her.

She barely noticed when he pulled her closer, using the wrist he still held in his hand to tug her forward until he could wrap his other arm around her waist. He pulled her closer still, gently hoisting her up until not even her toes touched the ground. Her misty mind marveled that he seemed to complete the task with no strain whatsoever, and before she could think any more on the fact that their bodies were pressed so intimately together, his mouth was at her ear.

"Submit to me, Kagome," he whispered, baritone voice doing odd things to her body. "Submit to your alpha."

She tilted her head, registered the pleased growl that vibrated against her chest, and then nearly groaned in pleasure as his tongue touched the sensitive skin behind her ear. Her free hand twitched at her side, but although the muscle movement registered in the back of her mind, she couldn't seem to do anything more but absently wonder if a tongue was supposed to feel so good, or if lips were supposed to be so hot.

The tingling came as expected, and this time spread all the way to her toes. Her wrist seemed numb, but the rest of her was on fire, burning with desire for the daiyoukai whose mouth was wreaking such exquisite havoc on her system. There was a coil winding in her belly, spurred on by the dark, seductive caress of his youki against her and the rumbling growl she could feel vibrating against her chest.

She was almost there, positive that the coil was going to snap at any moment, when nearly all contact suddenly stopped. The fog cleared from her mind, but the clenching in her lower stomach didn't cease. It took her a moment to realize that although Sesshomaru still held her tightly to him, his lips no longer touched against her skin, but were rather pressed at her temple, his breathing slightly harsh. After a moment, he released her, but didn't look at her as she clutched the railing behind her, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Sessho—"

"Leave me, Kagome." His voice was gentle, and she was positive that had she still been human, she wouldn't have heard him.

"Wha—"

"Go, before I take you here."

Suddenly, she realized that while she had been lost in her own world, Sesshomaru had been entering one of his own; she could faintly recall the feel of his length pressed against her thigh, hard and hot. A fierce blush exploded across her face, and she mumbled something that even she didn't understand, darting around him as quickly as her kimono would allow.

Only when she was safely in her rooms did she realize what he'd said, and she groaned at the complications her life had suddenly adopted.

"Well. That was certainly…interesting." Ryouichi held up his hands as she whirled on him, startled. "I didn't watch," he mended at the look she felt flit across her face. "I felt it in your aura."

She sighed heavily, taking care not to lean back on her shoji screen as she slumped in defeat and embarrassment. "I can't believe that almost happened." Walking over to her mirror, she inspected behind her ear, relieved to see that the mark had been placed.

"I had a similar event occur when I began courting my mate," her brother murmured in amusement.

Whether he had intended to or not, his statement drew her mind away from her own thoughts, and they sat together for the rest of the night, sharing stories about the lives they'd lived.

**

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**Author's Note: **And there you are! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!

**~Aubrey**


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